


Marinette and True Heroism

by BrokenWingedTenshi



Series: The Bat Family's Miraculous Encounters [1]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alya Césaire Is The Best, Badass Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Caffeine Addiction, Dick Grayson Needs a Hug, Good Chloé Bourgeois, Hot Mess Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Identity Reveal, Jason Todd Has Issues, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Kagami Tsurugi Friendship, Post-Canon, Post-Hawk Moth Defeat, Protective Jason, Protective Luka Couffaine, Supportive Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Tim Drake Needs a Break
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:09:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 24,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21824194
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrokenWingedTenshi/pseuds/BrokenWingedTenshi
Summary: Marinette is so tired of Paris. After the defeat of Hawk Moth, she just can't seem to settle back into civilian life. She's decided upon a college abroad, in Gotham City.Now that she's no longer Ladybug, she needs a new reason to keep moving forward. It will take Jason Todd to remind her of what true heroism really is. And why she became Ladybug in the first place.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Jonathan Kent, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Chloé Bourgeois/Lê Chiến Kim, Dick Grayson/Koriand'r, Luka Couffaine/Tim Drake, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Jason Todd, Raven/Damian Wayne
Series: The Bat Family's Miraculous Encounters [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1575910
Comments: 136
Kudos: 576





	1. New City, New Rules

The idea was that once she stopped being Ladybug, the world would return to normal. She could be just another average civilian, the same as she'd been before she ever learned of Miraculous or Guardians. But of course, things were never really that simple. It was a terrible thing to have to do- give up Tikki. Her closest confidante for five years, seven months, nine days and twenty-seven minutes.

Master Fu had recovered all the miraculous that had been in circulation. Of course, there were only five. Not counting the Peacock and the Butterfly. The rest had remained only occasional heroes. Luka, Kagami and Alya had been given their miraculous full time over the years, and Chloe had been their civilian eye since her last mission as queen bee. The one where her best friend had stolen Ladybug and Cat Noir's powers. She'd understood the need for it, and was actually very capable. She had still been a valuable asset to the team. She'd even gone so far as to help them establish a hideout. A safe place to meet and plan.

Hawk Moth had taken a few civilian aides himself. Lila and Adrien's cousin Felix. To make sure no one mistook the two, Cat Noir had revealed his identity to them. It led to the rest of the team revealing their identities as well. As much as it had been discouraged by the guardian (who they'd all meet by this point), it helped their team to become closer. They knew each other outside of the masks- they were friends and acquaintances. And now that they knew they had worked together for so long, it was easy to fall into their superhero dynamic even as civilians.

As such, when Luka, Kagami and Alya found out what Lila had been putting Marinette through, and what she'd put Adrien through behind closed doors, she became public enemy number one. For Kagami and Alya, it was child's play to uncover her lies. Her kingdom came crashing down around her, and while her akumatization after was a hassle, it was too satisfying to see her knocked down a few pegs. No one was openly hostile toward her (except Alix, but when wasn't she hostile these days?), but everyone was now informed and too wary to believe most of what she said. Unless they had concrete proof, no one listened to Lila anymore.

It was simple for Kagami to put in for a transfer and spend the rest of their time in secondary school together. Marinette, Alya and Kagami quickly became untouchable. They were solid Teflon, never bothered by anything as long as they had each other. Luka and Adrien were wild cards, but they adored their girls. And outside of school, the five of them were just about inseparable. They began keeping clothes and pajamas at each other's homes in case they were running out of time. Whoever's house was the closest, that was where the heroes would go. If it was a long fight and they needed some rest, often the five would all go to the same home and have a slumber party. It was good for their morale, and they would often invite Chloe as well.

The years as heroes had gone by fast, and before they knew it they were standing before Hawk Moth and his wife, entombed in a glass cylinder and kept alive by inadequate science and magic that filled in the gaps. He had kept her alive in this state for years, and it enraged the heroes. More than almost anything he'd ever done. (Akumatizing a baby was still number one on that list.) He'd abandoned his son, the most precious thing his wife had left him, someone she'd labored and worked to bring into the world. He'd kept a woman whose time was up barely alive inside an incubator, confining her selfishly to their world. He'd become a supervillain and terrorized an entire city to bring her back- to do the unthinkable and unbalance life and death. When it wasn't enough anymore, he had brought in a woman who loved him And twisted that into blindly following him into the grave he'd dug for himself. And he had hurt Adrien for so many years, fooling himself into thinking that what he was doing was for anyone but himself. It made them all sick.

The fight was easier than they'd thought it would be. Mayura was fast, but Ryuko and Rena Rouge were faster. Hawk Moth had very little martial arts prowess, but Ladybug and Cat Noir had gotten plenty of practice over the years fighting off what he created. With a little help from Viperion's Second Chance, they had taken back the stolen miraculous. And when all was said and done, Paris had thanked them. They still hadn't revealed their identities to anyone, seeing as how that would ruin any chance they might have at a normal life after that. As strange as it was, it almost felt like a dream. The years of fighting, the villain who'd taken advantage of helpless people, the powers. Especially after Master Fu had taken back the miraculous.

Team Miraculous, as they had been dubbed by civilians, had been called to see Master Fu. He had congratulated them, but then he had revealed that because there was no longer a villain that needed defeated, there was also no longer a need for heroes. It was time to say goodbye to their faithful kwami friends. No matter how much it hurt.

And it did hurt. There were so many tears that day. Grateful tears that it was all over, happy tears because they'd done it together and those were precious and cherished memories, and tears of utter sadness for the loss of friends. Tikki and Marinette had promised never to forget each other, and they were a sad sight to behold. Marinette loved her kwami- her guide and mentor for so long, and Tikki loved her like a daughter in return. Adrien promised Plagg that if he ever wanted to come and visit, there would always be camembert waiting for him. The cat kwami had bawled his eyes out and sworn they would see each other again. Kagami and Longg had a beautiful goodbye, and the little Dragon had sworn to her that if she needed him, he would find a way to come home to her. She'd shed tears which the kwami wiped away, stating that there was no greater honor than to fight by the side of a noble warrior, and she was the noblest of them all. She had broken down in tears, and Marinette and Adrien had come to comfort her.

Luka and Sass had a quiet goodbye, with silent trails of tears from them both, and a promise that Sass had Luka make to him that he would always remain so gentle and serene. He promised he would, and Sass was satisfied with that. Still, he hesitated to leave his chosen until Luka finally gathered enough courage to return the bracelet to Master Fu. Emotions had sounds, and it was the most heart wrenching violin piece Luka had ever heard. Alya and Trixx were last to separate, and Alya could hardly get any words out. They were birds of a feather, and it broke her heart to say goodbye. It broke Trixx's heart to see her so sad. He made her promise to him that she would never stray from the truth. She promised, and he nodded to Master Fu.

The kwamis floated around Master Fu, and Tikki sniffled, taking a moment to address them all.

"Our wonderful, beloved chosen. We're all going to miss you very much. We know that there's no need for us anymore, but that doesn't make this any easier. We know you'll be fine without us, but it doesn't mean we won't be worried about you. Try to stay in touch, okay? Master Fu can deliver letters to us, or let us speak to you every once in a while. It'll be different, but stay strong. You're all so incredibly strong. And we know you'll be alright now. When we chose you, you needed us for one reason or another. We've watched you grow up so much in the short time we've known you . . . we love you. And we're so proud of you. You've been like our precious children, and we're so sorry to leave you. If ever you need us, you know how to find us."

She nodded to Master Fu, and the kwamis sadly waved goodbye as their miraculous were returned to the box and they disappeared one by one. The sight made it final, and Marinette and Kagami buried their faces in Adrien's shoulders. Alya had her face in her hands, and Luka held her close as they wepr for the loss of their closest friends. It was such a bittersweet farewell, and it hurt them all so much. They had a slumber party that night, and they sent their kwamis off together. Marinette had given each of her friends a hand drawn picture of their kwamis that she'd had the sprite-like creatures pose for. Since they couldn't be caught on camera, this was as close to a photograph as they would ever get. But that was alright. She had captured them beautifully, and in her room, hanging by her bed, was the drawing of Tikki, smiling at her with those big blue eyes.

But that was months ago. Team Miraculous had stayed the same for the most part, but they had to face facts. It was time to strike out on their own. Time to see what the world had in store for them. Chloe, Marinette and Alya had all coordinated and applied to Gotham University in America. They'd felt the need for a change of pace as they pursued their education. Which was just fine with Marinette. It would be easier to leave behind the world she knew if she had good friends going with her. Thankfully, they were all accepted, and would be rooming together in a large apartment in downtown Gotham City, New Jersey. Luka and Adrien had come together after the breakup of Kitty Section as they all went out into the world, and they were quickly accumulating fame. They were going on an international tour with Jagged Stone, and they'd promised that if they stopped anywhere even remotely close to Gotham, they'd come and visit. Kagami was going on a world wide fencing trip. She'd fight and train with the best (again) before going on to the Olympics the following year. They'd all made plans to be there for her, and Kagami and Chloe had the right strings to pull to make sure it happened. So really, while they were separated, they weren't at all alone. No matter how far apart they'd be, they would always be Team Miraculous.

~~~~~

It was only their first week in Gotham City and already Chloe had managed to lose Marinette. And not only had she lost the shorter girl, the blonde was fairly certain she'd been purposely given the slip. Stomping a foot in agitation, she blew strands of honey blonde out of her eyes. Of course Marinette would leave and go explore Gotham on her own. The entire team had taken up weight lifting, parkour and acrobatics years ago. While they were still in secondary school and planning a way to defeat Hawk Moth. But out of all of them, Marinette had excelled the most at acrobatics. It was no wonder either. She was lithe and graceful, and when she wanted to be, she was downright sneaky. Adrien preferred parkour, and he was the best at that, but a big city like Gotham would be Marinette's playground. Even after losing the miraculous, the former heroes had retained their enhanced strength and agility. Refusing to let this last gift from their kwamis go to waste, they had honed it. Really, they could have been superheroes all on their own now.

The thought was nice, but Chloe dismissed. She missed hero work, but she'd never don another mask. At least, she couldn't see it happening in the near future. Sighing softly, she turned back towards the apartment she was staying in with her friends for the time being. She started on her way there, pulling out her phone and texting the group chat all her friends were in to let them know she was still restless. She'd taken off on her own in Gotham, and she likely wouldn't be home until late. There was no point to looking for Marinette. If she didn't want to be found, she wouldn't be.

Far above the blonde's head, her friend watched over her until she made it back to the apartment, careful not to let Chloe know she was there. Once she was satisfied, she nodded to herself and took off across the rooftops. She did flips and somersaults between buildings, sometimes running on her hands just because she could. After all the stress of goodbyes to her family and old friends, moving across the world and the days of unpacking, they were finally, blessedly settled. She hadn't planned to run off, but it was such a nice night. Not to mention, she'd spent so little time exercising this week that she had too much energy. She thought she might explode if it built up anymore.

She was standing on the roof of a tall glass building, which she'd leapt to from the one next to it, when she was grabbed. The reaction was immediate, and she threw whoever had touched her across the roof. They skidded to a stop a few feet shy of the wall, and she mentally deducted herself points for releasing a moment too soon. Dressed in black with a bulky helmet over their face and a red bird across their chest, the stranger groaned, and Marinette deduced that this was a he. A brown leather jacket completed his costume, and Marinette averted her eyes from the sinfully tight costume that did nothing to conceal how well built this stranger was. Clearing her throat, she turned her eyes back to him and kept her eyes firmly on the helmet.

"My apologies, but I'd suggest you not grab people like that. It's very rude. Not to mention, this is Gotham. Someone is going to think you're trying to abduct them or something. And if that's what you were trying to do, you're very bad at your job."

Beneath the helmet, Jason Todd was staring in disbelief. Not only had this tiny woman just thrown him across the roof of his father's business, she then apologized, scolded him, and said he was bad at his job in one fell swoop. She had to be new in town. There was no way he wouldn't have met her before. Sure, there were a lot of people in Gotham, but she was jumping across the rooftops in a black doctor's mask, a dark red hoodie, tights, and combat boots that he really wanted a pair of. She looked at him expectantly, and he scrambled to his feet with a slightly embarrassed clearing of his throat.

"Hi. Sorry about that, but you were really close to the edge. I thought you might fall. Or jump. In either case, I was concerned for your safety. Not to mention, this is a restricted area. Wayne Enterprises is very strict about security, and landing on their building is likely to bring the authorities your way. Luckily for you, there are still people in the building and you were labeled nonthreatening."

Marinette just tilted her head on one side, lifting a hand and looking at it for a moment. She'd pulled on black fingerless gloves before leaving home, and she wondered if she'd still be labeled nonthreatening if she punched this stranger over the side of the building. The shards of metal between the layers of fabric on the handmade gloves would ensure he went down. She just pushed the thought aside.

"You seem to know your stuff. Who exactly are you?"

He took a moment to answer, doing what she assumed was staring. Actually, he was studiously ignoring the comms unit in his ear and resisting the urge to give his real name.

"Name's Red Hood. I'm one of Gotham's vigilantes. How about you."

The girl snapped her fingers and clicked her tongue.

"Man! I wanted to use that name. Whatever, just call me . . . The Red Lady. Yeah, that's not bad. Hopefully I'll get a new costume soon. The civilian duds aren't doing it for me, and I like coming out at night. I won't get in your way, but it's safer for everyone involved if people don't think there's a random civilian woman on their rooftops. Might encourage other people to try doing what I do."

Jason continued to stare, and she waved a hand in front of his face. He didn't know when he'd walked over, but he was very much in her space. Still he wasn't going to back down now. Looking down at the tiny woman, he chuckled softly.

"Well then, I hope to see you again soon m'lady."

The name stung a little, and he noticed her wince, but chose to stay silent. She nodded turning to face the city.

"Well, it was nice meeting you but I should go. My roommates are going to be pretty peeved. Especially once they find out I actually met one of Gotham's heroes. If I survive them, I'll lay low until my suit is done and then I'll see you again. Later birdy.~"

Jason could only wave as she ran off into the night. In his ear, Red Robin let out a few choice words. "Who was that?"

Jason just sighed.

"That, Timothy, was the girl of my dreams."

"No civilian names on comms Hood."

"Shove it bird boy."

~~~~~

When she made it home, Chloe and Alya were in their pajamas in the living room with a big bowl of popcorn. Marinette just went and changed into her ladybug pajamas and returned to flop on the couch between them. They were watching a Christmas movie on some channel called Hallmark. She didn't really get it, but it was a good movie. Her friends were enjoying it, so their conversation could wait until the commercial break. When it came, Chloe went to get more snacks, and Alya tossed a kernel of popcorn into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully before she asked her first question.

"So where'd you go?"

Marinette just sighed, figuring it was better to tell them now than later.

"I went to blow off some energy. I was pretty careful. I stopped on top of the Wayne Enterprises Botanical Garden. The big glass building downtown. I got grabbed, so I just reacted. I threw the guy who grabbed me across the roof. Not off the roof, obviously, but loss of points. I let go a second too soon. Lost some distance."

Chloe clicked her tongue, coming back into the room with more movie snacks. Setting it all on the table, she sat back down on the couch and listened.

"Anyways, turns out I was in a restricted area. The Wayne family is apparently really particular about their security. I was judged on nonthreat-" Alya snorted there. "I know, right? So the guy tells me all this, introduces himself as Red Hood, which sucked, and asked for my name. I couldn't very well tell him my name was Ladybug, and he took the next best thing, so I blurted out that my name was The Red Lady. He asked if he'd see me again and I might have kinda sorta told him I'd lay low until I had a new suit and then meet him again."

Chloe and Alya stared at her for a moment, and then both slapped their palms to their foreheads. The reported shook her head, and sighed, dragging the hand slowly down her face.

"What are we gonna do with you?"

Marinette was quick to jump on the question.

"You could come with me! I know you miss it. You miss it just like I do."

Chloe and Alya look at her in shock, and the blonde's lip quivered slightly. Her friend was right. But . . .

"What about being normal? Isn't that what we came here to do?"

Marinette looked at the scared looks in their eyes, bornering on hopeful, and she had an answer for them.

"Girls, we came here to find ourselves. What we're meant to do. Team Miraculous isn't around anymore, those are the people we used to be. But just because we're trying to open up a new chapter in our lives, doesn't mean we can't still be heroes. We don't have magic to protect us anymore, but why does that mean we can't be who we are? We're never going to be normal- not after everything we've been through. So be super. Be heroes. Come with me. We'll design new suits together. I'll put so much bullet proofing in them you can get shot with a machine gun and get back up! We were heroes by virtue of our kwamis before . . . let's do it on our own this time."

Alya and Chloe looked at each other, they looked at Marinette, and then? They smiled. Alya spoke, and she sounded like her old self again. The best version of herself. Her Rena Rouge days were over, but she could be a new hero now. She would have a new costume, a new name, and a new city to save.

"Let's do it then. It's about time we got new costumes anyways. But I still want mine to be fox themed. I'm naming myself Vixen."

Chloe just chuckled.

"I don't want a bee themed costume. Please don't put me in stripes. I kind of want my costume to be orange, actually. Not like Alya's bright orange, like a burnt orange. Something tasteful."

"I said fox themed. I did not say orange."

"Good, then I don't have to share colors."

Marinette just chuckled at her friends, movie forgotten.

"New city, new rules girls. No bright, flashy colors. It could get you killed. Dark colors only."

And so began the newest team of Gotham vigilantes.


	2. Nine Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He paused for a second, knowing he shouldn't, but what harm could it do? After Red Hood, he made a dash and wrote 'Jason'.

Nine days.

It took Marinette nine painfully long days to make them superhero suits. They'd gone shopping the very first day, refusing to wait longer than they had to. It was good for them to get out of the apartment. After all the unpacking, they needed a change of scenery. Gotham, despite its reputation, was flourishing under the guiding hands of Bruce Wayne. At least, they heard it was largely attributed to his support of the community. It was good to know that not all rich men were evil. (Adrien not included, because he was still too young to be tied down to his company. He was running it by proxy, letting his old bodyguard do most of it. Guillame was surprisingly business savvy.)

The city's reputation was a part of why they'd chosen it. Whether in the guise of superheroes or just as civilians, the urge help people never did ebb for the girls. They'd already planned to do what they could to help this city, and they viewed this as another way of doing that. It was very informative to walk around a bit and get the lay of the land. Sure they'd memorized maps of the city, but putting buildings with streets and names to influential people helped. Chloe had the inside scoop on the who's who of Gotham City. Whether that was businesspeople, villains, anti-heroes, celebrities or vigilantes. After several years of being the information specialist on the team, she had developed a need to know as much about her surroundings as possible. And with her farewell gifts from her (now long distance) boyfriend Kim and his best friend Max, she had very little trouble doing just that.

The fabrics they chose were all surprisingly light, but the girls didn't question Marinette when it came to clothing design. No one who knew her did. It would be very unwise on their part. She was the best at what she did, and she stopped in another store on her own while Alya and Chloe went to get them a table not far away for lunch. She'd needed a new sewing machine, and a few other little things anyways, so it was a natural detour to make. Besides, she'd had to pick up sturdier versions of their training weapons if they were really going to do this. She put them into a large duffle, resolving to work on them later before heading off to meet her friends for lunch.

She spent the rest of the day, that night, and all of the next day making Chloe's costume before she could be convinced to get some sleep. She did relent, but only once the first costume was finished and stowed away so she could reveal all three costumes at once. She couldn't go into a designing fury like she wanted to (Alya and Chloe wouldn't let her go that long without sleeping), but she would certainly be speedy about it. They were just lucky Chloe's costume was the simplest of the three or she would have toughed it out another night.

The next three days were spent making Alya's costume. She didn't pull anymore all nighters, because her roommates had downright forbidden her. It was good that they were getting back to their old selves, but did they have to do it so quickly? She really would've rather spent a few more nights awake and finished the costumes sooner, but she'd promised to get at least four hours of sleep each night. (They'd tried to get her to sleep for ten but they all knew that was unrealistic for Marinette. She'd never actually get any sleep for worrying and fidgeting about the clothes.) But as soon as those were up, she went right back to the project that she felt would consume her if she didn't finish it.

She spent the sixth day on video call with Max, modifying their weapons and holding off Chloe on her end from hijacking the conversation to talk about trivial things. She and Max had a job to do, which she kept reminding the blonde before sending her away to do something else. She always came back, but by the time Marinette had finish the modifications, she didn't mind it so much anymore. It had kept things from getting monotonous, and that was good. It would've been bad for her process, and she knew the Chloe was well aware. They'd brought her food while she was working and made sure she was alright at various points during the day, and occasionally they would talk to she and Max if they weren't completely taken in by a discussion that neither of the other girls really understood. (Not really- Chloe understood but no way was she going to admit to that. She'd never live it down.)

She spent two more days working on her costume, pushing and pulling and creating until she was satisfied. The costumes were done, but she was exhausted. The last day was spent catching up on her sleep and making slight alterations at a more relaxed pace than she'd been working at the rest of the time. She sipped coffee and munched on small snacks as she worked until finally, the suits were ready.

She helped Alya and Chloe get dressed with their eyes closed so she could see the surprised looks on their faces when they opened them and saw what she'd created. What they'd created together, really, because she'd worked with them on the initial designs. She had just refused to let them see the finished product until she was satisfied with them. And finally, she was.

Chloe had requested a burnt orange color that was just dark enough that it would be alright to wear in Gotham. They were mainly the same bodysuit design of their original costumes, but where those had felt like spandex, these were heavier. Not by much, but it was there. They had protective wear underneath to keep them from getting hurt, custom made by Marinette with a little help from friends back home and a personal project where she'd dissected a Kevlar vest to see what she'd need to do to bulletproof their school bags just in case. She'd since started adding special plating and cushion like fabric to vital areas on their coats and jackets to be on the safe side. They could dodge bullets, but on the off chance they got hit, they would be mostly protected.

The plated and padded under garments helped them to feel safer, the weight familiar after their coats and jackets. It gave them a confidence boost. Chloe opened her eyes first, preening in front of the mirror at her burnt orange top, which fated into black at the extremities with orange fingers and supple orange leather boots that she could wear every day and never get tired of them. She was especially loving the domino mask, black in the middle and fading to the orange of the rest of her costume. It was simple, elegant, and she loved the way the fabric moved with her. For the element she and Marinette had designed, she'd chosen a soft fabric that reminded her of winter nights wrapped in blankets with Kim back home, looking up at the stars from the roof of her father's hotel. It felt like home when she pulled off the removable gloves (attached to the suit, of course) and touched it. At her side was a whip on one side, and a tranq gun on the other, hung from a stylish utility belt. In her ear, an earpiece that she could communicate with her friends with. Her long, honey blonde locks fell in loose waves around her shoulders, and she couldn't help but smile. All in all, a great success.

Alya was next, taking a look at Chloe and nodding her approval before heading to the next mirror (who in their right mind only kept one full length mirror in a house with three women?) and taking a look at herself. Her costume resembled leather more than Chloe's soft ensemble. (It looked harder than it felt, and Marinette had added extra plating to the outfit itself, as she had done with all the suits.) The outfit itself was simple, sleek and a dark indigo color that could almost be mistaken for black. The really beauty was in the delicate silver detailing, the lines that formed a stylized fox on her chest. The fox ears that Marinette had designed and put onto a headband that concealed an ear piece in one so she wouldn't lose it. She could take it out of its hiding place when they were ready to go. Strapped to her back was a bo staff, silver and deadly with a hidden blade or two to even the odds in her favor. Dark brown hair tipped with temporary white dye sat up in a high ponytail, and she nodded at herself with a sly, foxlike grin. Her mask was a delicate indigo affair with silver designs that reminded her a little of a masquerade mask. Still, it was practical. And she couldn't have been happier with the end result.

Once Marinette was satisfied with her work for her friends, she dressed herself. Her costume reminded her of the old days. She had kept her same colors (why would she ever change her colors?) but the red was darker. Harder to catch. Her suit was form fitting, even with the protective plating, and she observed herself critically in the mirror Chloe had finally vacated to allow her to see herself. Her top was red, a deep red that was almost the color of blood with a black backing that was almost mesh, a black stylized Ladybug on each of her shoulders and one on her chest. Her legs were encased in leather, and her knees were black in the shape of her knees themselves, and her combat boots remained. Hung on her waist was a black utility belt, holding a holstered handgun and two swords. Light, efficient, and deadly. That was the name of the game, after all. Over her eyes was a plain black domino mask, and she set her hands on her hips.

Alya and Chloe were silent, waiting for her judgement. She had spent more than a week cooped up in their apartment making these. Hopefully she was satisfied with them. Marinette turned to them and grinned, nodding her head. A few cheers, a last check to make sure they had everything and a check of their comms units later, the girls were out in the city. Bounding across the rooftops in different directions, they could hear each other's joyful exclamations and a few curses from Alya when she misjudged the distance she was jumping once and overshot it, landing on her backside. It was so familiar, and yet it was nothing like their days as teenage superheroes. This was independent and free, and not made into something strained and almost unpleasant with a constant threat looming over their heads.

Marinette knew that she shouldn't, but she went back to the botanical garden. It felt he same as last time, still and quiet as she overlooked the city. She stood perched on the railing, looking over the city. Now all that was left was to wait.

~~~~~

Nine days.

It had been nine days since Jason had seen the mystery girl who had identified herself as The Red Lady. Every day that passed had made Tim and Damian even more sure that he'd dreamt her up. Sure they'd heard the voice over the comms, but they could disregard that for poking fun at Jason. Dick had been in Bludhaven with his wife and daughter, so he hadn't heard it, but even he had joined in on the fun.

Still, with every day that passed, Jason was a little less certain that he'd met her at all. She was small and delicate, and she had thrown him across the roof their first meeting and then proceeded to covertly flirt with him and said she'd see him again soon. Then she'd disappeared mysteriously. What girl was that perfect for him? He was almost certain he'd imagined her by the ninth day, but there was a figure sitting atop the botanical garden, perched on the railing in red and black, and his heart just about stopped.

He'd known she was pretty, but wow. Dark indigo hair fell over one shoulder in a long braid, her suit form fitting and flattering, pink rose bud mouth pursed. Ivory skin almost glowed under the moonlight on what was an unusually clear night in Gotham. He had to meet her again. So it was only natural that his next stop was right behind her. He almost grabbed her again, but she backflipped over him and set her hands on her hips with a confident air about her that was much more pronounced that the last time he'd seen her.

"Evening Hood.~"

Her tone was friendly (if not downright flirty), and in his ear, he heard Tim draw in a breath. He knew it was Tim because Damian was busy cursing that he'd lost the bet. She had shown up just a day shy of his bet, and it irked him to no end. Alfred had won this particular bet, and Damian detested losing. But none of that was really very important to him right now. He had finally found her again! Maybe a little of his curiosity could be satisfied.

"Evening Lady. How's the new suit treating you?"

He watched as she stretched a bit, pulling one leg all the way up (which he marveled at because somehow the sword at her side didn't seem to get in the way at all) before letting it back down and twisting at her middle a few times. He whistled softly, and she grinned devilishly. Now that was an expression he could get used to.

"I can't complain. And it would've been finished a lot sooner, but by team needed new suits too. Now that we're all suited up, it's as good a night as any to familiarize ourselves with the city."

She was professional, but somehow her tone stayed light and cheerful, and he wanted to listen to her talk. About anything. It was such a relaxing sound for some reason, and he resisted the urge to sigh in contentment.

"Well, it certainly looks badass. I've got to get in touch with your designer. I've been meaning to get a newer version of this suit made. It on its last leg by now. Taken one too many hits."

She tilted her head to one side and seemed to be in thought. Her nose scrunched up and it was the single most adorable thing Jason had ever seen. (He would forever deny that he blushed right then.) She felt around in her utility belt for a moment before pulling out a little note pad and pencil and writing something down. Tearing out the paper and sliding the pad and pencil back into their little pocket, she held out the piece of paper to him.

"If you want to get in contact with her, this is her personal number. She gets a lot of professional commissions, but if you tell her it's a personal favor from me, she'll put a priority on your suit."

He took the piece of paper and tucked it away carefully into his own utility belt so he wouldn't lose it. Unbeknownst to him, in Marinette's ear her roommates were cackling. She ignored them, choosing to talk to Red Hood instead.

"Thanks! I'll definitely give her a call! I've been meaning to find a good designer recently. Hopefully she'll do such an awesome job with my suit. This is really cool of you Lady."

She just shrugged her shoulders, though she was internally freaking out. She had just given one of Gotham City's vigilantes her phone number. Her civilian phone number, because she didn't have another one to use for superhero business. Her yoyo had served that purpose when she was Ladybug, and now she'd have to get one.

"Any chance I could get your number? If not, It's totally okay! But I thought it might be cool to be able to talk a little more. Without having to worry about somebody-" she cleared her throat here, obviously directed at who he assumed were her teammates in her ear like his were, who he was, again, studiously ignoring. "-listening in on our conversation."

Jason thought about it for a second, before holding out a hand.

"Can I see your pad and pencil for a second?"

Her face lit up, and again, there was that feeling of his heart stopping as he looked at her. She pulled out the pencil and note pad, and he flipped to a clean page scrawling out his number and his superhero name. He paused for a second, knowing he shouldn't, but what harm could it do? After Red Hood, he made a dash and wrote 'Jason'. It was a common name, and he'd rather she called him Jason than Hood. Handing the note pad and pencil back, he watched her take a quick look before tucking it away carefully and turning her eyes back to him. She made a face and raised an eyebrow at him above her slender mask. He just tapped where his ear would be beneath the mask, and she nodded sagely.

"Thanks Hood! I'll text you once my team and I finish up for the night. Right now I've got a bit of exploring to do. If you'll excuse me.~"

And off she went. But this time, he flopped onto the roof on his backside with a dreamy sigh.

"She's adorable."

In his ear, Dick was laughing and he mildly wished his brother would go back to Bludhaven.

"You guys were right- he's whipped!"

Damian chuckled at his expense.

"We told you Nightwing. He's enamored with this new girl, and he doesn't even know anything about her."

Tim just clicked his tongue, annoyed with his siblings. Dick wasn't having any of it.

"True, but it appears he's going to get to know her. You heard her, she'll text him when she's done for the night.~"

Jason finally started paying more attention, but he just shook his head.

"Ah, shut up. Not even you guys could ruin this for me right now. - Crap!"

His brothers startled at the exclamation, and Damian was the first to respond.

"What is it? Is there trouble? Has there been an attack?"

Jason just sat there for a moment.

"I'm an idiot! She's exploring Gotham- like, where I've lived my entire life Gotham! I should've offered to show her around!"

Dick was howling, and the other two were silent for a moment.

" . . . Todd, you are absolutely whipped."

"No civilian names on comms Robin!"

"Shut up Red."

Once again, Tim was ignored.

~~~~~

On her way home, Marinette stopped in a store to pick up a new phone, the same model as her civilian phone so no one would get suspicious when she pulled out this one to talk to Red Hood. She set the lock screen as a picture of Team Miraculous and her home screen as a picture of the drawing of Tikki that hung in her bedroom. Smiling softly at it for a moment, she headed home, crawling in through the window and going straight to her bedroom. She had heard the shower down the hall, so one of her friends was already home. Probably Chloe. She had the most prior knowledge of the city, so it was likely easiest for her to get things memorized.

Pulling the shades closed, she took off her mask and costume, setting everything down on her bed in a neatly folded pile. Pulling on fluffy white pajama pants with pink hearts and a Pink Panther t-shirt, she pulled the note pad from her utility belt and saved the number she'd received earlier in the night under 'Hood/J-Bird'. A couple of red hearts and she was all set. Opening up a fresh message, she typed out a quick text.

'Evening Hood. It's Lady. Sorry for the wait, I just made it home. My teammates too. How's your night?'

She heard the light thump that signaled Alya returning home, and the footsteps that sauntered on down the hall, peering into the room with the biggest grin.

"Texting Red Hood?~"

Marinette didn't show her embarrassment, just nodding at her friend.

"Yeah, with a separate phone. One for superhero stuff. Which I think would be a good idea for all three of us. Have each other's numbers and any other superheroes we might encounter and get numbers from."

Alya just nodded and ducked back out. That she hadn't stayed to tease said more than enough. It was her first night out in a while, and she was tired. Probably more so than Marinette, who'd spent most of the day before sleeping and Chloe, who was the first one back and had been putting herself through rigorous training even now. Not that Marinette and Alya weren't, but Chloe's regimen was more rigorous as of late. She seemed tense, and it proved to be the best way for her to relax.

Marinette didn't think about that anymore because her new phone dinged and she scrambled to check it.

'Evening Lady. Nice to know you made it home safe. Glad to see you're a lady of your word too. My night would be better if my brothers weren't so annoying.'

She giggled softly, laying back in her bed and holding the phone above her, typing out a response.

'I always keep my promises. It's something I pride myself on. A person is only as good as their word. As for your brothers, I get that. I'm an only child, but I live with two other girls. I've known one since we were kids, and the other since secondary school. 7th grade, if I'm not mistaken. It's kind of like having sisters.'

On the other side, Jason couldn't help but smile. He'd received the first message, excused himself from the end of dinner, and headed for his room. He'd promptly saved her under 'Future Wife' with several red hearts. Now he was grinning at her trying to relate and telling him a little more about herself. Maybe he could get to know her after all.

'Yeah, sounds about right. I love my family, but they're really annoying.'

He thought about that, and sent a follow-up text.

'Don't ever tell them I said that.'

The reply was quick, and he was glad she seemed to want to talk to him as much as he wanted to talk to her.

'Your secret's safe with me. Btw, I have you saved in my phone under J-Bird. I didn't want to risk using your real name. I hope that's okay.'

He blinked at the screen a few times before a soft chuckle left him.

'You gave me a nickname! I like that. Well, since you've told me what you saved me under I suppose it's only fair to tell that that I saved you under Future Wife.'

She sent several laughing emojis and replied quickly.

'I don't buy it for a second. Besides, I'm not the kind of girl you wanna get involved with.'

'How would you know what kind of girl I want to get involved with?'

'I wouldn't, but I'm no good with relationships. And you did just meet me. Might wanna get to know me a little before you try to make an honest woman of me.'

He paused for a moment, thinking about that. She didn't seem to be saying that she didn't like him. Just that he didn't know her.

'Will you let me?'

'Let you what?'

'Get to know you.'

'Hmm . . . I don't see a problem with that. I'd like to get to know you better too.'

Suffice it to say, it was hours before Jason and Marinette went to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jason is a dork and I love him.


	3. Dinner Dare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Rooming with Chloe and Alya is sure to get you in a lot of interesting situations. And since I'm sure you have nothing like this for yourself, I bought it as a farewell present. I hope you like it ma coccinelle. ~Maman.'

This may have been worse than Marinette's crush on Adrien. Despite the best efforts of her roommates, Marinette had yet to leave the house unless it was on patrol since she'd gotten that new phone. If she wasn't doing normal things like eating or showering (which they'd had to force her into a few times), she was glued to the screen.

Okay, it was definitely worse than her crush on Adrien. She wasn't just obsessing over a guy, she was obsessing over a vigilante. And he was obsessing over her right back. They'd spent most of their time in the last five days texting, or talking as they ran through the city late at light. A few petty crimes had taken place, but nothing serious yet. The girls had quickly put stops to the crimes they saw or heard on the police frequency. It was child's play. Ordinary crime was a lot easier to deal with than a supervillain with magic jewelry. Who would've guessed?

Jason and Marinette had made a game of it. Whoever stopped the most petty crimes first won. The loser then had to perform a dare from the winner. So far it had been easy stuff. Jason dared Marinette to send him a picture from her childhood. Marinette dared Jason to tell her about one of his brothers. So on and so forth. It was all a game.

Chloe was of the mind that Marinette needed to get out of the house. Preferably in the company of cute boys- bonus points if they had influence. Luckily, she knew where to find just such boys. Two were around their age if she wasn't mistaken. She had Kim, and Alya had Nino, but she was getting worried for Marinette. She feared what might happen if her friend put all her time and energy into this blossoming relationship with someone she barely knew. She didn't even know what he looked like. And she wouldn't tell them what she talked about with the vigilante, so they didn't knew what the two could possibly know about each other that had them so focused on their phones.

But what Marinette hadn't yet disclosed to her team (because she refused to wear the comms unit on the nights when she and Hood competed and dared each other) was that she had a date. Or what she assumed was a date. Red Hood had beat her by one point the night before, and his dare was . . . unexpected. He dared her to come and have dinner with him. In one of the Wayne family's buildings. He assured her that he had permission to be there after hours (he was a vigilante on Batman's team, of course they'd know the Waynes!) and that she was free to say no. But they'd talked so much that he wanted to have an actual conversation. Face to face. He'd even take off the helmet in favor of a domino mask. And why would she say no? She wanted to see if they had as much chemistry in person as they seemed to have over text.

She agreed, and was stressing about what to wear. Because what did one wear to dinner with a vigilante? She had asked for Chloe's help, but the moment she'd said 'Hood' her roommate had stopped listening. She'd gotten much the same result from Alya, and stomped off to her room with a huff. Of course they'd be no help when she actually needed help with a guy. The same guy who had captured her attention the day they'd finally finished unpacking and kept it for what was a record since her crush on Adrien. After he'd revealed his identity, she and Adrien had sat down and had an honest talk about their feelings for one another. They had decided that what they felt was purely platonic and left it at that. She was rather tired of romance by that point anyways. Luka had then come out as gay, and the rest of the team couldn't have been more happy for him. He and Marinette had since become more like siblings than anything. She adored him, in a sisterly kind of way, and there was no danger of that changing.

So now, years after the last time she'd had a crush, here she was with no idea what to wear or how to act around him. Marinette flopped back onto her bed with an agitated sigh. Looking over to the framed drawing hung on the wall, she smiled sadly at the kind blue eyes that looked back at her.

" . . . You would help me. You'd know what to do."

She was silent for a moment before turning onto her stomach and burying her face into her pillows. Perhaps if she pressed her face into the pillows hard enough, she would pass out and not have to deal with this until she woke up. Except, her phone dinged, and she couldn't keep herself from checking it for more than a few minutes. Checking her messages, she couldn't help a small smile.

'My Lady senses are tingling. What's wrong?'

She shook her head and typed out a reply.

'Nothing J-Bird. Just debating what one wears to dinner with a vigilante. It's not an everyday event.'

The answer came quickly, and she once again marveled that a Gotham vigilante would want to talk to someone like her. A new vigilante washed up at nineteen and unsure what the future held or why she was doing any of what she was doing except that it felt right.

'It could be, but you won't tell me where you live so I can randomly bring you dinner!'

It coaxed a giggle out of her, and her eye was caught by the edge of something underneath her dresser. She pursed her lips and typed out a quick message before going to retrieve it.

'Well, I don't live in my super suit. Not to mention, you'd probably look me up and find out my identity. Can't have that. XP'

Pulling the box out from its hiding place, she ran her fingers over it gently. It was plain white with a card taped to the top and a white lace bow. She couldn't help but be curious, moving to sit on her bed. She vaguely recalled receiving this from her mother before she left, and she hadn't seen it since she'd organized her bedroom. Pulling the card off, she read the delicate handwriting that could only be her mother's.

'Rooming with Chloe and Alya is sure to get you in a lot of interesting situations. And since I'm sure you have nothing like this for yourself, I bought it as a farewell present. I hope you like it ma coccinelle. ~Maman.'

Vaguely, she heard her phone ding again in the background, but she was staring at the box in her lap. Carefully tugging at the bow, she watched it unravel and removed it from around the box. The fabric was cool in her hands and pleasing to the eye. She made a mental note to find more later. Pulling one taped side apart, she pulled out the rectangular box inside with great care. Wrapping set aside and ribbon removed, she hesitated a moment before gathering her courage and tugging off the lid. Pushing aside a bit of paper, Marinette was struck by the color. A dark blue that reminded her of a clear midnight sky. It simmered like so many stars had been sewn into the fabric, and she gently traced a hand over the bodice of a dress. It was beautiful, and she took it from the box with great care. It wasn't silk, but it felt close. The fabric glided through her fingers easily, and she couldn't pull her eyes away from it. Well, that solved the nights question. She could certainly wear this to dinner with a vigilante.

Setting it aside gently and picking up her phone, she put in her pin and pulled up the message window. A silly emoji greeted her, and a message below it.

'Okay, you're right. But in my defense, you can't tell me you wouldn't look me up if you knew where I lived.'

Marinette just rolled her eyes playfully.

'Actually, I'd respect your privacy . . . . nah, I can't tell that lie. I'd look you up. I wouldn't be able to help myself. And that's why I'm not telling you my address.'

Jason sent her a frowny face, and she giggled softly. Standing and stretching, she figured she'd better take a shower before putting on that dress. Picking up her towel and fluffy pink robe, she shot one more text his way before heading for the shower.

'I'm going to start getting ready. I'll see you soon!'

She didn't wait for a reply, heading to her bedroom door. When she opened it, her roommates stood there and blinked at her a few times. Before she could say anything, a smug looking Chloe turned to Alya.

"Told you I was psychic. And even Marinette can't resist the temptation of Bruce Wayne's yummy looking sons and an opportunity to get friendly with the biggest name in Gotham."

Alya just shook her head, holding up her hands.

"Whatever. She doesn't even have clothes with her. She's just going for a shower."

A small argument ensued, and Marinette sighed at her friends. Holding her towel and robe tight in one hand, she narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Hey! No one said anything about meeting Bruce Wayne. Chloe, you're not psychic, because I didn't get the memo. I have a date tonight! And I don't plan on missing it. How long is this meeting with Mister Wayne and his sons supposed to last?"

The girls stared at her before Alya pointed and drew in a sharp breath.

"Hood asked you out!"

Chloe's matching intake of breath a moment later would have been amusing if not for Marinette's slowly rising temper. When she spoke, it was slow and deliberate, through clenched teeth.

"Yes, and you would know that if you paid attention when I talked. I tried asking for advice on what to wear, but you were both busy. I figured it out, and now I'm going to get in the shower. When I get out, I expect to know when this meeting is, how long it's supposed to last, and when it was set up."

She slammed her bedroom door and marched off without another word. Behind her Chloe and Alya were left sheepishly standing in the doorway of her bedroom, absorbing what had just happened. it appeared that they should have listened to her when she talked about Red Hood. She'd needed their help and they'd ignored her. Walking off in different directions, Alya headed to her room to get dressed and Chloe headed to the living room to retrieve her favorite lipstick. (She'd been experimenting with colors before she attempted to create a psychic link with Marinette to let her know about the meeting with Bruce Wayne.)

Marinette stupid under the shower's warm spray and let out a heavy sigh. She loved her friends, but sometimes they really did get on her nerves. In any case, She spent a few minutes just standing under the warm spray before cleaning herself up and stepping out. Turning off the water, she dried off and took a look in the mirror. Making a face, Marinette traced a few scars left over from her days as Ladybug, letting out yet another sigh and pulling on her robe. Picking up her hair brush on the way out, she headed to the living room. Sitting on the dark pink couch, she began brushing out long waves of dark blue. Chloe was already sitting in a plush recliner across the room, applying lipstick in a handheld mirror before snapping her compact closed and brushing off her white dress. She had opted for a braided crown and cute clutch purse Marinette had designed for her. The subtle hints of gold in the purse and dress complimented the girl well, and Marinette was satisfied that she was ready.

The matching jacket was folded over the arm of the recliner, and Marinette was comforted by the fact that it was one of the ones she'd modified to be bulletproof.

When Alya came down the hall, she was ready too. Opposite Chloe, she was dressed in black, a pencil skirt and shimmering silver top, the blazer she'd settled over her shoulders a nice addition, Marinette's signature settled on the breast pocket in silver thread. Over her shoulder, a practical black purse sat, and Marinette narrowed her eyes at it. Alya pulled the handle of a handgun just far enough out that Marinette could see it, and she nodded in satisfaction, going back to brushing her hair. Chloe sighed, deciding to bite the bullet.

"So, the meeting with Bruce starts in roughly an hour and it should take about twenty minutes to get there. Alya had the idea to get better acquainted with he and his sons, and I already had contact information for him. I set up this meeting this afternoon, and it's a get to know you. It might take a while. But we don't want you to miss your date, so I'll tell Bruce you're sick and we'll find another time to introduce you to him."

Marinette pursed her lips a bit, nose scrunching up in thought. She looked at a clock hanging on the wall and judged that she had roughly two and a half hours until her date with Jason. Meeting Bruce Wayne could go a long way for them. But she didn't want to be rude. What if her leaving early was seen as disrespectful? She didn't want to disappoint Red Hood. In fact, she refused to. Nodding her head, she resigned herself to meeting Bruce Wayne another time.

"Give my apologies to the host. I'm sorry girls, but this is really important to me. It's been a long time since I've wanted someone to like me this much. I'll make it up to Mister Wayne, but I'm not canceling."

Alya took a seat next to her, rubbing her back in soothing circles.

"We wouldn't ask you to. It's been way too long since you've had a date. Even if you guys are wearing masks, I'm happy for you. He's lucky to have your attention. If he wastes it, he'll have me to deal with."

"And me!" Their blonde friend chimed in from across the room, coming over to sit on Marinette's other side. "I haven't seen you like this since Adrien. It's less obsessive, but definitely cut from the same cloth. I think this guy is good for you. Being glued to a phone all the time isn't, but he seems to be."

The girls chuckled at that. She'd certainly been having a lot of phone time. Leaning on Alya's should and putting an arm around Chloe, she hummed softly.

"Thanks girls. I really want this to be good. I'm not going to spill all my secrets, but I like talking to him. He's a lot of fun. Hopefully I can bring him to meet you guys soon. Not here, but somewhere we can all relax a little."

"Working on it. The new hideout will be finished in another day or two, and then you can invite your boyfriend over."

Chloe couldn't help but tease, and was satisfied when her friend turned bright pink.

"He's not my boyfriend! . . . Yet. He's not my boyfriend yet."

Alya and Chloe made surprised eye contact over her head before standing up and pulling her by both hands towards her bedroom. Alya grinned at her.

"Now you have to tell us everything!"

"You can't leave anything out! We'll know! We need details!"

Marinette just shook her head. Man, she loved her friends.

~~~~~

Red Hood was surprisingly calm. Sure he hadn't been on a date in a while, but he was satisfied he had done well. He'd had a chef prepare a fine dinner, had a table set with a white tablecloth and cushioned chairs, created mood lighting and hired a musician to play soft violin in the background. He was certain this would be a good night. He'd made sure his lady had the address right, and now he was waiting on the roof. He knew she'd come this way- she'd told him so.

He heard her touch down behind him, but he wasn't prepared for what he saw when he turned to greet her. Her usual braid had been undone so waves of soft looking navy fell over her shoulders. Her mask still covered her eyes, but he kind of liked it. It added an air of mystery to the whole thing. She had on a long coat, and he couldn't blame her. Nights in Gotham were brisk, even in the summer. Holding out a hand, she took it without hesitation, and he led her downstairs into the room he'd hoped would be to her liking. If her smile was anything to go by, he'd succeeded. He took her coat, and she turned around a few times, admiring the room. He took the time to admire her.

It looked like she'd pulled down a swath of the night sky and put it on. It was form fitting (more so than her super suit, if that was possible) and classy, and had no straps. Detached sheer sleeves in a navy color that almost matched her hair fell down her arms loosely, and he once again held out a hand. She turned her attention to her date for the evening, and soft pink colored her cheeks. He'd never seen her blush before, and it was absolutely adorable.

Marinette was consumed by how good he looked. Fitted black slacks and a well made deep blue shirt that was most definitely silk. His shirt was tailored so one could still see his muscles through the fabric when he moved just right, and the jacket over it didn't hide much. She couldn't help but blush. Black hair was messy, but stylish, and she was entranced by the lightly tanned skin and the scar she could see just peeking out from under the collar of his shirt. Shaking it off, she huffed softly.

"Hi J-Bird."

He smiled at her, and it took her breath away.

"Hey Lady."

"You didn't have to do all this for me." She gestured around them and he just chuckled at her.

"If I'd known you were going to come dressed so it was even more obvious you're out of my league I would've done more. I have to bring my A-Game."

The pink in her cheeks deepened to crimson, and she smiled bashfully, raising a hand and gently running her fingers down his jaw.

"You know, it's nice to finally be able to put a face to a name. Although, I didn't expect you to look like this for some reason . . . I like this a lot better. You're very attractive."

Setting his hand over hers, he turned it to gently press a kiss to the back of her hand.

"I'm honored m'lady. Shall we?"

He gestured to the table, and she nodded, heading towards it.

Jason gulped, following behind her. In his head, he could hear Dick's voice. 'Don't screw this up.' It told him. He really hoped he didn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hnnnnn I love them. Alya and Chloe are so going to give her crap for this later.


	4. Out of My League

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 'Remind me again why homicide of my roommates would be such a terrible thing?'
> 
> 'While I'm sure orange would be a good color on you, it'd really suck to have our wedding in a prison.'

Marinette was certain of three things when she woke up. First, that had been the single best date she'd ever been on. Second, her roommates were going to demand details as soon as they caught sight of her. And lastly? Jason was totally out of her league.

She lay in bed for another hour before her roommates came running in. Her face was buried in her pillows, and she peered back before pulling her red and black polka dotted blanket over her head. Chloe pulled it off her, and Marinette groaned. Mentally, she reminded herself that she loved her friends, and that she should not commit murder before she'd had a chance to drink some coffee and think about it logically. Instead, she just mumbled "Go away." and continue to brood.

Chloe set her hands on her hips before running over and jumping onto Marinette's bed. Bouncing on her knees a few times, she shook the girl's shoulder.

"No way! You went on a date, we demand details!"

Marinette just groaned louder into her pillows. Alya hissed through her teeth.

"That bad?"

Marinette sighed heavily before sitting up, turning to face them pulling a pillow to her chest.

"Even worse. It was fantastic! He took off the helmet and wore a mask so it would be a little more normal, then he convinced Bruce Wayne to give him after hours access to one of his buildings, had a top rated chef make us dinner, a violinist playing music, and the most beautiful view. He was a perfect gentlemen! He kissed the back of my hand, he pulled out my chair for me, made sure I was comfortable . . . He's perfect!"

Falling back into her pillows, she squirmed around. Chloe quirked a brow at her, setting both hands on her hips.

"Then what's the problem? If Red Hood is so perfect, why are you in her moping instead of jumping for joy and going with us for celebratory ice cream?"

Marinette sat up again, big blue eyes wide.

"Are you kidding!? He's way out of my league! No way can I go on another date with him. He's gonna think I'm some low class hick and he won't like me anymore. I have to stop texting him. I have to destroy my phone, get a new number, run away to Canada, change my name to Felipé and never show my face again!"

Alya just slapped a hand to her forehead, shaking her head. She was far too familiar with this spiral.

"Marinette? Chill. Red Hood likes you. Did he show any sign that he didn't?"

Marinette looked at her with wide, innocent eyes. She shook her head no.

"And did he tell you that he didn't?"

A moment's hesitation, and then another no.

"He doesn't think you're a hick. He doesn't think you're low class. You have nothing to worry about girl! He's crazy about you! Have you seen how fast he replies to your messages?"

The cell phone sitting on the night stand chose that moment to go off. But this wasn't a text message. It was a phone call! And the only people who had the number were Alya, Chloe and Jason. Marinette scrambled over and picked up the phone, pressing answer and holding it to her ear.

"Hello!?"

A few strands of navy blue hung in front of her eyes, pulled free from the simple braid she put in before bed by her frantic movements. The voice on the other end was rough with sleep, and relaxed.

"Morning Lady. Sorry, did I call at a bad time?"

She settled back into her pillows with a shy smile she couldn't shake.

"No, no. You just startled me is all. My civilian phone is always on silent until I get up, so I was surprised to hear a phone ring."

Jason chuckled, and she just about melted right there. Her friends showed smug grins at her expression, but she couldn't care less. Alya's arms were crossed over her chest, and she mother 'speaker phone'. Marinette just shook her head. She was enjoying hearing him talk, and she wasn't ready to share that sound yet.

"Sorry about that. I just wanted to hear your voice. And let you know I had a really good time last night. It's been a lot of fun spending time with you so far."

She brushed the few stay strands of hair out of her eyes, twirling the end of her braid between her fingers and biting her lip.

"Really? I had a good time too. You really didn't have to do all that, but it was definitely a relief to know that chivalry isn't dead. I've had a lot of fun spending time with you too."

Alya wiggled her eyebrows, and Marinette just rolled her eyes at her. Chloe made a kissy face and Marinette gestured for her to talk to the hand.

"Well, you came looking like a princess. How could I live with myself if I treated you like anything less?"

Marinette's face turned pink, and she brought a hand to her mouth, chewing on a nail.

"I just wanted to look nice. You looked better than I did. Are all your clothes designed to show off your muscles or am I just paying too much attention?"

Chloe and Alya shared a look, jaws dropping. Oh, now they definitely needed more details. Marinette had been holding out on them. And it was not appreciated. Marinette ignored them, too distracted with her conversation.

"No, that shirt was definitely designed for showing off. I wanted you to notice. It was very much on purpose."

Her pink cheeks turned cherry red, and she squeaked softly.

"Well, I'm glad I wore that dress then. If you're gong to show off, I've got to keep up."

"You do a lot more than keep up."

Marinette just about keeled over. She couldn't get anymore words out. Alya took the phone from her best friend's hand and held it to her ear.

"Mari- er- Lady will get back to you. I think you broke her. She'd bright red and daydreaming. I'll have her call you back once she's functioning again."

She giggled and hung up the phone, dropping it on the bed and pulling Marinette up by her shoulders. She had some details to extract while the girl was still out of it.

~~~~~

When Jason got off the phone- or rather, when he was hung up on, he was certain of three things. Firstly, Lady was getting more comfortable with him. She was getting bolder, even if it did frazzle her. It was adorable to watch. Secondly, she was just as perfect for him as he'd originally thought. His contract name for her was accurate, she was indeed his future wife. And thirdly, she was way out of his league.

The last thought put a bit of a damper on the first two, but not much. If he wasn't good enough yet, he'd just have to work at it. He didn't care how long it took- he was going to get that girl to fall for him. She was intelligent, quick witted, fun, and she could beat him up any day. He'd be fully alright with that. This was one of those cases where he wanted a girlfriend that could not only kick his ass, but would do so upon request.

Standing from his bed, Jason stretched and headed downstairs for breakfast. He could smell Alfred's cooking, and settled himself in a chair in the living room until breakfast was ready. Picking up a book he'd been reading, he sat cross legged in an over stuffed love seat (painfully accurate) and immersed himself in the tips to winning a lady's heart the old fashioned way. He'd originally picked it up as a joke, but so far it seemed to be working. He had pulled her chair out for her, made sure the music was right, made jokes that pertained to them (all of which he would have done anyways, but it was nice to be reminded of how he might behave before he saw her). So far, she seemed as enamored with him as he was with her. And if he could keep it that way, maybe he could meet he behind the masks. But he was enjoying being just Jason to her. He wasn't sure he was ready to give that up just yet.

Sighing softly, he set the book down. Sitting across from him was Tim, looking at him with his head tilted to one side and his ever present cup of coffee in one hand.

"Were you just . . . reading?"

He sounded surprised. Then again, Jason couldn't really fault him. He was a big reader, but he went to great lengths to keep that from his brothers. Pulling a face, Jason decided to play it off.

"I was bored. It's too early for much else, but I still don't see the appeal."

Tim looked at him for a long minute and then shrugged, pulling his phone out of his pocket and doing whatever it was young CEO's of multi-million dollar companies did at seven in the morning. Jason pulled out his phone and frowned at the lack of messages. He'd just spoken to Lady, but he was getting used to constantly texting her. But apparently he'd flustered her pretty well if what that other girl had said was true.

As though summoned by his thoughts, his phone went off, and he pulled up the messages to Lady.

'Remind me again why homicide of my roommates would be such a terrible thing?'

Yup. Definitely his future wife.

~~~~~

Once Chloe and Alya were satisfied they'd pulled all the details out of a dreamy Marinette, they took her into the restroom with her towel and robe and told her to take a shower. She had nodded at them and they left the room. They heard the shower turn on and about five minutes later, they were clutching their stomachs laughing at the continuous line of curses their blue haired roommate let out. She'd certainly snapped out of that trance, and once they heard the water turn off, they ran to their bedroom.

Marinette didn't much care where they'd gone, going to her room to retrieve her phone. Proceeding to the kitchen, she started a pot of coffee and sent a quick text to Jason while she waited for it to brew.

He responded quickly, as usual, and she could feel her mood lifting considerably.

'Because you love them. And while I'm sure orange would be a good color on you, it'd really suck to have our wedding in a prison.'

She'd almost forgotten. He'd said he had her saved under 'Future Wife'. She didn't know if she believed it or not, but it was certainly a nice thought. She'd taken 'Hood' off his screen name, so now it was just the nickname she'd given him and several hearts.

' Yeah, and I kind of want them as bridesmaids if only so I can monitor what they wear so they don't look better than me at my wedding.'

Jason rolled his eyes, and Tim noted the smile on his face. He'd be talking to that new girl again. Shaking his head, he went back to scrolling through Tinder. He hummed softly at a picture of a nice looking guy with blue hair and a guitar. He scrolled through a few pictures, nodding and swiping right. Jason probably assumed he was looking at spreadsheets or something. He was just better at hiding his actions. He did wonder though- what did they talk about that always had Jason smiling like a fool?

'No one could look prettier than you. Period. Especially not on your wedding day.'

Alya perked out of her room briefly. Marinette looked up and glared, and Alya promptly shut the door again. Marinette poured herself a cup of coffee, added blasphemous amounts of sugar and a dash of creamer, before taking a seat on the windowsill of the singular window on their kitchen. It led to the fire escape, and she liked to sit here and think.

'There are plenty of women who are prettier than me. But whatever floats your boat or fills your aquarium.'

'Water does both of those things.'

'Don't be a smartass, it's too early to be witty.'

Jason snorted, and Tim looked up from the chat window that had opened up. The guitarist had swiped right back, and sent a greeting message. It was only polite to respond, even if it didn't go anywhere. Jason never took his eyes off his phone.

'You had no problem being witty when we were talking.'

Marinette took a sip of her coffee, shaking her head.

'Yes, and now my roommates are hiding from me. I should get going though. I have last minute supplies to get. I've got classes starting next week.'

Jason perked up. Another point in his favor. She has classes. She'd just moved here, had two teammates (who he assumed were also her roommates), was staying in an apartment (she'd let that slip by accident), had just moved here from France, and was the daughter of a baker. (She spoke fondly of her parents, and had mentioned it briefly.) He knew he could find her if he wanted to, but was he really going to breach her privacy like that? No, he didn't think so.

'Ooh, any idea what you'll be majoring in?'

'Fashion Design. I'm not too bad at it, if I do say so myself.'

Why had she said that? She was giving too much away. But was that really such a bad thing? She didn't think she'd told him anything too distinctive. Trivial details and anecdotes, yes. But nothing concrete.

'Hey Lady, what would you do if I managed to find out your secret identity?'

Well that was an . . . interesting question. (If not alarming.)

'I don't know. Depends. If you find me on your own though, I'll grant you one wish. Anything you want. No cheating though. No super computers. No superhero help.'

'You're on. I'm screen shotting this as evidence. Prepare to be found. Most epic game of Where's Waldo EVER!'

Jason just grinned. Oh, this would be fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is shorter, but I like it. Kind of drabble-y. A little fluffy cuteness. Jason is on the case! Good luck Marinette.


	5. Meeting The Team

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by high pitched squeals. She cringed, and he couldn't help but wince. Two girls came hurtling down the stairs, a brunette flying down the railing and a blonde taking the steps three at a time.

Alya didn't know whether to be happy for her friend and her new almost boyfriend or be concerned. She'd apparently promised him one wish if he found her (when he found her, because he was too stubborn not to), but once he did find her It wasn't too far a leap to pinpoint them as her teammates. Still, she wanted to meet this boy. Even if it might compromise them. He was taking up a lot of Marinette's attention, and she didn't exactly have the best track record when it came to romance. As Marinette's best friend, Alya felt it was her duty to interrogate him in place of the parents, who didn't know anything about this situation except that their daughter had met a nice boy who wanted to know more about her.

Chloe had gotten a text that morning to tell her that their hideout was ready, and the three girls had gone to check it out. Alya had to admit, it was very discreet. A nice, decently sized brick house uptown from their apartment that didn't draw attention to itself. Over their shoulders, each girl carried a duffle bag with their super suit, work out clothes, a towel, weapons, and a few pairs of casual civilian clothes. Each of them would have a rack to hang their outfits on, and they proceeded inside. The first floor was set up in much the same way as their apartment. Walking into the front door, there was the living room with cozy looking couches and a coffee table and tv. To the left, the kitchen and dining room were settled. Off to the right was a closet, a large bathroom with separate shower and bath tub along with the regular amenities, and a set of stairs.

But upstairs? Upstairs was the real hideout. At the top of the stairs was a door and a scanner to one side. Their fingerprints had been put into the system, and Chloe set a hand onto the scanner. A blue light flashed, and the door slid upward. It was clear to see that the door itself was very thick. Chloe assured them It could take substantial damage before becoming compromised, and they followed her onto the second floor. It had been remodeled so it was just one large room. Off to the left, there was workout equipment, as well as mats to spar on and three curtained racks for their clothes. Not to mention the practice weapons on their various racks. Off to the right, there was a super computer and three stations with shiny new laptops sitting at them as well as filing cabinets.

"There's an attic too, but I've had that converted into a server room to give us maximum computing power. All in all, it's a good set up."

Chloe looked around with a satisfied nod, heading for the computer. She slid into a leather chair and cracked her knuckles, booting up the computer and pulling up several widows at once.

"Running a diagnostic on the system just to be sure it's working properly. You guys can get started setting your stuff up. If one of you would take my bag, that'd be great. If not, I'll set myself up once I'm finished with this."

Marinette grabbed her bag, chuckled softly and headed for the racks.

"I got it Chlo. We all know you're gonna spend hours playing with your new toy. Alya and I can get some sparring in on the other side. You run your diagnostics and all your other commuter nerd stuff."

Chloe stuck her tongue out at Marinette before turning back to the screen in front of her. It didn't bother her any, and she continued toward the racks. It didn't take long to set those up, and little plaques that read their superhero names sat mounted beside each, so they wouldn't forget who's was who's.

Picking up her workout clothes and spotting a door, Marinette went inside to find a bathroom. Average in size and normal except for the amount of buttons and dials on the shower. Shaking her head, she changed clothes and folded her civilian wear. Checking her phone, she sent a quick text before shutting off the volume.

'About to spar with Vixen. I'll talk to you later.'

Heading out, she set her clothes down on a little shelf by her clothes rack, phone resting on top of it within easy reach. Wrapping her hands with red gauze and medical tape, she headed foot the sparring mats. Alya had just stepped out of the bathroom in her workout clothes, hands wrapped and ready to go. Proceeding with stretches, they finished at roughly the same time before facing each other. All was still for a moment, and Alya made the first swing. Ducking under it, Marinette made a sweep for her legs, which Alya jumped over. She attempted to bring her foot down on Marinette, who rolled out of the way and sprung back up.

"So, think this'll be a good place for us to meet your guy? We could certainly use the intro. I've been dying to know what he's like."

Marinette threw a punch, and Alya dodged to one side. Marinette shrugged her shoulders, striking out with a roundhouse kick.

"I think it'll do. It'll be a lot safer if we meet him in the living room here than at the apartment. Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll stop trying to figure out where we live."

She doubted it though. She let out a soft 'oof' as Alya caught her foot and twisted her so she was forced to move with it or break her ankle. Alya put pressure on and Marinette twisted more, bringing up her other foot to catch the other girl in the chin. Alya let go, falling back a step or two. 

"Doubtful. He works with Batman, so I doubt we'll be able to fool him that easily."

She launched forward again, but Marinette twisted so she ended up behind Alya, a swift kick to the back sending her down to the mat on her knees. She struck out with one foot, catching Marinette in the leg and buckling her knee. The bluenette huffed, dropping to one knee and rolling out of the way once again as Alya tried to bring her knee down on her.

"I dunno, in any case, when's the right time to invite him over?"

Alya twisted and attempted to pin Marinette, but she was already up and smashed her elbow into the side of Alya's head. She went down and was pinned quickly. Alya pouted childishly, huffing softly.

"Alright, I give! Get off, I don't want to be infected with your lovesick germs."

Marinette coughed playfully a few times before rolling off and springing up. Alya sat up and started a few more stretches on the floor.

"Real mature. Anyways, you can invite him over now. It'll distract Queenie from being so absorbed in the computer. She'll take a break for that, and we'll shower and put on our masks."

Marinette twisted at her middle a few times before shrugging again.

"I'm not sweaty enough to need a shower. I'm just gonna throw on my mask. I'll text him the address and tell him to be here."

Alya shrugged back, picking up her civilian clothes and mask and heading for the bathroom. Grabbing a white canister as an afterthought, she continued on her way.

"Suit yourself. Might wanna give Chlo her mask before he gets here."

Nodding Marinette went over to her clothes rack and pulled her mask from the hanger that held her super suit. Picking up her phone, she noted it hadn't been too terribly long. Rifling through Chloe's bag for a moment, she found the mask and took it over, settling it over the blonde's face. She barely reacted except to pause, situate her hair around the mask and continue about whatever it was she was doing. Marinette understood cogs and gears, not computers.

Heading downstairs, she noted the ok symbol Jason had sent in reply to her last message. Typing out another, she then headed for the fridge.

'My teammates want to meet you. If you're free, we're not doing much right now.'

His answer was a speedy 'WHERE?'

She sent him the address, told him to come in the front door in civilian clothes and nix the helmet. He texted a gif of Roadrunner and was on his way.

A soft giggle left her, and she set her phone down, heading for the fridge. Pulling a can of cashews off the top, she hummed softly and tossed a few into her mouth. Flopping down on the couch, she pulled on her mask and turned on the tv to a cartoon (how ironic that it was Looney Toons), propping her feet up on the coffee table. Now to sit and wait.

~~~~~

Jason didn't take long, noting that the address she'd given was one not far from his home. He wore his mask instead of his helmet, a dark hoodie over his head and dark wash jeans. It was easy enough to find the house- an unassuming brick building he had probably walked past a thousand times and never paid any attention to. He stepped up to the front door, looking around casually before stepping inside.

The first thing he noticed was that it smelled vaguely of fresh paint in here. The second was Lady, sitting on the couch and munching cashews. She noticed him, standing and setting her can down. Putting a lid on it, she brushed her hands off and came toward him with an easy grin. Decidedly getting more confident each time he saw her. She held out her arms for a hug, and he easily wrapped her up in his arms. He caught a brief whiff of lavender and fresh cookies. An odd combination, but it worked for her.

She withdrew, and he almost didn't let her go. But let go he did. She opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by high pitched squeals. She cringed, and he couldn't help but wince. Two girls came hurtling down the stairs, a brunette flying down the railing and a blonde taking the steps three at a time. They hit the ground running and stopped behind Lady, shaking her. He was slightly disturbed, but not enough to try and stop them. She just looked resigned to this.

The brunette with white tipped hair and the delicate black and silver mask held out a hand.

"Hi! I'm Vixen, and this is Andrena. We're Lady's teammates. She's told us a lot about you, and simultaneously told us nothing at all so we're very curious about you."

Jason took her hand and shook, followed by the blonde with her black and burnt orange mask.

"I'm Red Hood. Well- kind of. This is a mask from one of my older costumes. Lady thought the helmet would be a little too conspicuous. Especially because I was told to come in through the front door."

Andrena chuckled sheepishly, rubbing at the back of her neck.

"Yeah, that'd be my fault. The top floor is in use as a server room. There's no outside access point, and no access to the rest of the house from it either. It's a dead end. So the doors and windows on the floor are the only way in."

There were windows on the floor above, but they were too small for a person to fit through. Just big enough to allow natural light inside the second floor and made of frosted glass to prevent people from looking in.

"Well, it's certainly a nice house. But I thought you guys lived in an apartment. What are you doing here?"

Lady shrugged her shoulders, looking nonplussed.

"This is the sanctum. Basically our version of the bat cave. The bottom floor is ordinary house stuff and the second floor is the hero stuff. No one can get up there but us, so it's entirely safe. And you're the only other person who knows this place is even here."

Jason looked around with a more appreciative gaze. It was fairly smart. No one really paid attention to this house. It was easy to overlook, easy to defend, and difficult to get into except on the first floor, where nothing important was really held.

"I'm honored. It looks pretty comfortable here. You could stay here indefinitely if you needed to."

Andrena stared at him for a moment, pursing her lips.

"So, have you been corrupting our dear innocent Lady?"

Well that was a turn in conversation. But he may as well be honest.

"No, not really. She was already pretty corrupted when I got to her. If anything, she's corrupting me. I'm kind of hoping she'll keep doing it."

Vixen snickered, and a foxlike grin slid across her lips. Something told him she was the one to be wary of.

"Well, then we've got much to discuss."

Jason gulped. What had he gotten himself into by coming here?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp- Alya is ready to interrogate!


	6. Meeting The Bat Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "She put her hand on my shoulder and told me that if I went in there she'd go with me. Fight by my side until the last. Scared me enough that I started thinking rationally again. Our suits are tough, but there are only so many bullets you can take and get back up."

Jason had been through quite a lot at this point. Things that might've driven a lesser man insane. For a while, he hadn't been entirely sane himself. So it was safe to say that it was difficult to scare him. It was a fear few could accomplish. So why was it that he felt so intimidated sitting with a table between him and two girls?

Sitting in the living room of their base of operations, Jason faced Vixen and Andrena. At the instruction of the other two girls (but mostly because Vixen told her to, because she'd argued with Andrena until the third member of their team had stepped in and agreed), Lady had gone upstairs to change. (Chloe refused to let her walk around dressed in her workout clothes.) Which Jason didn't understand because her red crop top, black shorts and the combat boots that he still really wanted a pair of flattered her figure and looked quite comfortable.

Vixen sat with her elbows on her knees, leaning forward with her hands clasped in front of her mouth and watching him with narrowed honey brown eyes he could just barely see through the distracting silver filigree and black fabric of her mask. Hers was a bit more intricate than Lady's or Andrena's, and coupled with the way the other two girls seemed to defer to her, he mentally placed her as the leader. She sat up and let her hands fall to her lap folded, which he instinctively did not trust.

"As I hear you know, the three of us are quite new to Gotham. The reason why is none of your concern at this time. Really, there's only one thing that you should keep in mind. Lady is my very best friend. In and out of the mask. I've seen her laugh, cry, scream and lose her temper, going into places I could never follow. Andrena has seen almost as much. As far as Gotham goes, she is otherwise alone. There's no one on this continent that cares about her more than we do. We're the closest thing to family she's got so far from home. She really likes you, and you seem to like her too. Am I wrong?"

Andrena looked up from examining her nails, leaned back in her seat and looking relaxed but somehow still exuding an air of danger. Jason shook his head, not trusting his voice. They were alone here? He couldn't help but wonder why. They were either a long way from home, or completely alone. Not that it would change much if they were just far from home. If they knew no one here, and there was no one who could come to them when they need help, they were as good as alone anyways.

"Then take this into consideration. We care about her more than you will ever know. We've developed bonds stronger than anything. The rest of our former team will be here soon, and I suggest you tread very carefully. We don't tolerate any funny business when it comes to her heart. And if you hurt her- if I find out you made her cry for any reason . . . your life is forfeit. She needs this right now, needs someone she can talk to that isn't us. She's stifled. But know that if we sit with her while she cries her eyes out about you, I will find you. And I will flay you alive, watch you bleed out and feed your entrails to my dog in slivers of dried meat." (She did not have a dog, but he didn't need to know that. She would get one.)

Jason was thoroughly intimidated, but he sat up a little straighter. Swallowing around the lump in his throat, he took a deep breath and spoke, meeting Alya's eyes. She liked what she saw there. Determination, and just a hint of heartsick hope. That was the look she was going for.

"I would rip my own heart out and willingly give myself over to you if she ever cried over me. I'd never hurt her. She's already saved my life once, and you haven't been in Gotham very long yet. Mostly, it's been petty crimes that have gone on since you three arrived here, but Lady and I ran across something a little more serious a few nights ago. We decided to talk to our teams tonight, but you need to hear this now. I sometimes get into . . . I'd call them fits of rage, but rage wouldn't cover the feeling. It's an intense need. A violent sense of wrong and a need to fix it. It gets triggered by the scum bags of Gotham a lot. Kidnappers, hostage situations, those who would harm the innocent. We discovered a group of armed men discussing how best to overtake the concert of a rock star coming to Gotham and kidnap he and his opening artists. One of them asked about casualties, and who I assume was the leader said to shoot to kill. It didn't matter who. They even joked about making a game of it."

Jason clenched his fists, and the girls leaned forward across from him. He barely noticed them anymore, caught up in the memory. The idea that someone could be so cavalier about taking life- . . . like he used to be- it disgusted him.

"What happened then?"

It was the first time Andrena had spoken, and he knew that voice from somewhere. That was important, and he filed it away in his mind. He was sure he could figure out who she was if he just heard her speak again.

"Lady said there were too many for us to take on alone. She was right, but I barely heard her. I wanted to go in right then and destroy everything I saw. The men, the plans, the whole damn building. I didn't care what happened to me in the process. Then she put her hand on my shoulder and told me that if I went in there she'd go with me. Fight by my side until the last. Scared me enough that I started thinking rationally again. Our suits are tough, but there are only so many bullets you can take and get back up. And she doesn't have a helmet- there's more open skin for them to aim for. I don't know what scared me more. The thought that she might get hurt or worse, or the thought that I almost led her straight into that kind of danger without even really thinking about it."

Alya and Chloe watched him and thought the same thing. Wasn't this what they'd wanted for their friend? For the best member of their team? Someone who knew right from wrong? Someone who would take her wants and needs into account and put her first? This was exactly what they wanted for Marinette. It appeared Jason still wasn't done. He looked up at them with a slight grin.

"Besides, I don't know if she told you but I'm planning to marry your friend. I don't think she takes it too seriously when I say it, but I'm serious. I intend to find out her identity, and I plan to marry her. I couldn't very well do that if I got myself killed. Only way I'd die at this point is if it would save her."

Andrena looked at Vixen, and Vixen looked back. Again they shared a thought. Marinette was still holding out on them! And it was as unappreciated as it had been right before their date. Andrena stood up, jumping and squealing. Vixen just looked at him with that hard gaze again.

"What part of don't make her cry didn't you understand Hood?" She softened a bit, even showing a foxlike grin. "If you died, she'd never be the same. Especially because of her. She'd spend the rest of her life blaming herself. I absolutely forbid you to die. As for the kidnapping situation, we're in. If you think we need the big bad bat we'll cooperate. But don't expect us to be as buddy buddy as you two are. I'm not as friendly as Lady, and Andrena isn't as nice even to people she knows and trusts. We'll be professional, but that's about all I can promise. As for Lady, it's hard for her to believe anyone could like her, let alone want to marry her. We're working on it with her, but she's always had self worth issues. It's better than it used to be, but she's still pretty insecure. You should've seen her a few years ago."

Jason nodded, and Andrena stopped bouncing around to slam her hands down on the table between them and pin him with big blue eyes. Not the mysterious midnight blue of Lady's eyes that he could get lost in, but the light blue of a lake on a clear day that got deeper every step and you had to be careful of or you'd step off a ledge and sink right to the bottom. (Like the kind of crazy he could already tell these girls were. He liked it- he fit right in.)

"You have to let me plan your wedding!"

Jason was about to reply, but another voice sounded.

"Ch- Andrena! What the actual hell in high heels!"

Andrena turned to her at the top of the stairs and pointed, narrowing her eyes dangerously.

"You. I've got so much to yell at you about but we're starting off with this! Why didn't you tell us Red Hood said he was going to marry you!? That's something you tell your friends Mari!"

Lady stiffened. Vixen stiffened. Meanwhile, Jason tilted his head to one side. Mari, huh? Yes, it seemed to fit her. It rolled off the tongue nicely, and it fit that playful streak she had. He rather liked that. Andrena, or Chloe Bourgeois, as he had identified her as when she started yelling, was dragged awayby Vixen. The latina grumbled something about civilian names in front of outsiders. Lady just sighed and turned her attention to him as she started down the stairs.

"Sorry J-Bird. We tend to get like this from time to time. I did tell you it's like having siblings."

Jason chuckled softly, standing with a shake of his head and noticing that she looked rather cute in her jeans and Jagged Stone t-shirt.

"No worries. There's no one better to help you out and protect you than a sibling. I would know, I've got six. Only the boys except for my oldest brother live at home though, thank God. There's no one more annoying, but there's no one who'll have your back like a sibling either . . . don't tell my brothers I said that."

Marinette just giggled, now right in front of him. He sighed softly, holding out his arms to her. She went into them easily, and he brought one hand up to pet her hair for a moment. When he spoke, it was a whisper, not wanting to break the atmosphere.

"I should get going. I came to meet your teammates, and I have. I think I've gotten the measure of them, and they're good people. It's a nice atmosphere to be in. I do have an appointment to go to with my younger brother though."

She sighed heavily, and he could feel her shoulders droop, her grip tightening just a fraction. His heart skipped a beat. She didn't want him to go. But he really did have to go meet Tim. He'd have to clear up some time another day, but next time he was determined to know who she was.

"Don't worry, I'll see you for patrol tonight. I wouldn't miss the chance to see you."

She hummed softly, taking a deep breath before leaning back enough to see his face. Soft pink colored her cheeks, and he had to check to make sure he was still breathing.

"I know. It just feels so far away."

He really, really hated Tim for scheduling this right now.

"It does. But don't worry, it'll be over before you know it. I'll see you tonight."

He hesitated, but pressed a kiss to her temple before smiling at her, singular dimple and all, and heading out.

Marinette went and leaned back against the door, sliding down against it with a dreamy sigh. Why did he have this effect on her?

~~~~~

Jason's jaw twitched as he stood in the bat cave, still dressed in his civilian duds and domino mask, hood down and narrowing his eyes dangerously at his brother. The closest to him in age. Bruce stood with his arms crossed, and Tim looked a little too smug for Jason's liking. Bruce broke the silence, because it was clear neither of his sons were going to unless it was yelling obscenities as they fought. And they would if they kept looking at each other like that.

"Jason, it's come to my attention that you went to meet The Red Lady and her teammates today. But once you got past a certain point, your tracker was scrambled and we couldn't find you again until you headed back this way. Care to tell us where you've been?"

Jason's eyebrow joined his jaw in twitching, and he crossed his arms over his chest, feet shoulder width apart and prepared to bolt.

"That's not really any of your concern. Why you know where I was going and were tracking me is no doubt thanks to Timmy here. I didn't tell anyone where I was going. The only person who came anywhere near me was Tim before I got the address to go to, and I deleted that message once I'd memorized it. I'll say this one time only. My messages are private. You stay out of my business, you got that? I'll string you up by your intestines if I catch wind of you spying on me."

Bruce stepped in front of Tim, who looked slightly afraid. Not by much, but he knew Jason was the superior fighter. Bruce would break it up before Jason could follow through, but he definitely get a few good hits in. Their adoptive father looked exasperated, and Jason felt a sort of satisfaction about that fact. He deserved it for sticking his nose where it didn't belong. It made him feel a little better.

"Jason, we're just concerned. None of us have yet met this girl. We don't know her, let alone if we can trust her. You spending so much time with her is a little concerning. Do you know who she is?"

Jason took a moment to consider this. He could see where Bruce was coming from, but it didn't stop him from being angry he was being tracked. No way was he letting that drop anytime soon. Tim was going to pay for that.

"I will soon enough. I'm not going to tell you, but I'm one last piece of the puzzle away. As for the signal, it was probably jammed by their tech. Andrena put a lot of work into making sure that place was secure. No one is going to find them. At least, not anytime soon. You'll meet the girls soon. There are three of them. Lady, Andrena and Vixen. You'll know whose who when you catch sight of them. Lady and I ran across an op we couldn't handle on our own. Call Dick and Damian. We've got business to discuss."

Bruce and Tim noted the change in his demeanor. This was Red Hood. A serious version of Red Hood that they hadn't seen in a while. Somehow, they could feel a sense of dread. Someone was going to die. They really hoped it wasn't Jason this time. Bruce checked his watch.

"Alright, but we'll have to be done within the next few hours. We're having company tonight."

~~~~~

Marinette sighed softly, exiting the hideout. Chloe had informed her that they were expected at Bruce Wayne's in the evening. She knew that she'd missed the first appointment, and she should probably be excited, but she couldn't help but feel like she was missing something. She had gone over her conversation with Jason before he'd left, and had deduced that his family were also superheroes. Most likely the rest of the bat team. She had yet to meet them, but she would soon enough. And she'd seen enough pictures that she knew what they looked like. They did resemble each other quite a bit. She wouldn't be surprised if they were his brothers and Batman was a father or uncle to them.

She shook her head, trying to push away thoughts of Red Hood and the rest of his team. She needed to figure out what to wear. Chloe had gone to finish her diagnostic on the computer system and shut everything down for the night, leaving only the defensive capabilities on. She and Alya would be home soon. Marinette walked right into their apartment, mask having been left with her suit at the hideout. She went straight to her room, grabbing her towel and robe before going to the shower. She didn't think she smelled bad, but better to be as fresh as possible. After all, Bruce Wayne was an important person.

She stood under the water for a while, just letting the warm water run over get and wash away her worries. Somewhere in her jumbled thoughts, she knew she was nervous. But she was mostly disconnected from that at the moment. Cleaning herself up with her usual soap, she then headed back into her room and right to her closet. Something in there has to be appropriate for this occasion.

She rummaged through it for a good fifteen minutes before pulling out a black top that shimmered with musical notes she had sewn in herself with a special thread when she moved. Uncle Jagged had a matching suit, and she nodded her approval. Setting it down, she chose a nice black maroon skirt and blazer to go with it. It was her favorite suit, and she set it down on her bed, taking a seat beside her clothes and humming a soft tune as she dried her hair. A knock sounded on her bedroom door, and Chloe called out to her that they would be leaving in thirty minutes.

Briefly, Marinette noted that she must have spent longer in the shower than she'd thought. Looking out the window, she noticed the sun would set soon. Shrugging, she set her towel down and dressed easily. Brushing her hair into a high ponytail and pulling on a pair of black heels, she picked up her usual little black purse. Making sure both her cell phones were in it, she closed it up and left her room.

In the living room, Chloe pulled on blue open toed boots with heels Marinette was sure would be counted as stilts in five states. They were a pretty sky blue though, and Marinette thought they certainly looked good with the matching dress, cinched at the waist with a stylish black belt. Alya walked out of the kitchen hanging up her phone, straightening her purple top and brushing off her black skirt. Marinette wondered for a moment if she should take her hair down to match their flowing hair for the night, decided against it. Sliding on her purse over her shoulder, she leaned against the wall by the front door.

"You girls ready?"

They looked at themselves amd nodded. Marinette nodded back, turning and walking out the door, followed closely by her roommates and stopping in her tracks at the front door of their apartment building. Chloe just pushed her forward and into the waiting luxury car with a friendly greeting to the elderly gentlemen holding open the door. When they were all in, he closed the door and slid into into front seat. Marinette could feel her nerves now, and fidgeted with the end of her ponytail, a nervous tic.

"Why did I go with this top? Is it too low cut? Do you guys think I look bad? I should go back. Can we ask the driver to take us back? I can't go looking like this."

Alya set a hand on Marinette's shoulder, and she turned wide blue eyes to her friend.

"Mari, let's try that breathing technique that Master Fu taught us, okay? Four counts in, four counts hold, four counts out. Can you do that for me?"

Marinette hesitated, but nodded. Alya counted as she breathed in, counted on her fingers as she held her breath, and counted as she exhaled. She repeated it a few times until her friend seemed calm again. Chloe watched them with worried eyes from Marinette's other side, drawing the girl's hands away from her hair gently.

"You're gonna do just fine, okay? You look great. That top is perfect, and Mister Wayne and his sons are going to love you. You look perfect. We don't need to turn around. There is absolutely nothing for you to worry about. If they say anything rude, they'll have me and Alya to deal with."

Alya nodded, and Marinette took a shaky breath. Nodding back, she laid on Chloe's shoulder. Alya rubbed soothing circles on her back, and she tried to think positive. At least she didn't feel so disconnected anymore. Anxiety wasn't e exactly a pleasant feeling, but neither was numbness. Anxiety was less scary. It was familiar. Something she could deal with.

"I'll be okay. I just got a little carried away for a second."

Chloe just chuckled, a warm sound that Marinette always likened to a warm cup of cocoa on a cold winter's day.

"We know. You always do. And you're always fine, just as polite and charming as you always are. Everything will be alright. Just like it always is."

The elderly gentleman pulled up outside a house so big Marinette's eyes just about popped out of her skull. He stepped out and came to open the door. They filed out in a demure fashion.

"Thank you Alfred."

He nodded, and Marinette was mildly surprised that Chloe knew his name. Shaking it off, they followed Alfred to the door. He opened it for them and bowed.

"Welcome to Wayne Manor ladies."

They smiled and thanked him as they entered, and he informed them that Mister Wayne and the boys were waiting in the living room and he was going to check on dinner. Chloe nodded, leading the way. The scene they got was surprising to say the least, but it certainly did wonders for Marinette's worry that she wasn't high class enough to be here. It was surprisingly normal. A man sitting in a large chair with a younger one sitting across the room. His arm was around a tall woman with deeply tanned skin that looked orange, wild red curls falling around her shoulders. A little girl sat on their floor with her back to them, sitting with a boy who looked a bit younger than they were. They were playing a card game of some sort. It was a peaceful family scene, but Marinette could have sworn she'd been told Bruce had more sons.

Just then, two men came toppling down the stairs, one landing on top of the other and raising a fist. A clearing of Chloe's throat brought the green eyes of Jason Todd to the three girls who stood in the doorway. Not to mention everyone else's. Marinette froze.

"Jason."

She was sure she'd said that too quietly for him to hear. (She hadn't- everyone heard it.) He just grinned at her and tipped an imaginary hat.

"Wifey."

Alya just grinned in that foxlike way she had.

"Chloe, you didn't tell us Bruce Wayne was Batman."

From beneath Jason, Tim nearly burst a blood vessel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sick and I feel like crap.  
> The logical thing to do?
> 
> WRITE FANFICTION!


	7. War Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She could see the grin he was trying not to show as he pinned her with those vivid green eyes she couldn't help but not the little blue flecks in.
> 
> "Did you just friendzone me?"
> 
> Marinette hit him with the first pillow she could reach.

For about two minutes, nobody moved. Marinette wasn't even sure she was breathing. In fact, she was fairly certain that she wasn't. Thankfully, Chloe was standing right beside her and made sure she was. Bruce and the boy on the floor seemed to be sizing them up, the man on the couch and the woman beside him looked more than a little concerned, and the little girl just watched on in confusion. To say nothing of Tim (who looked positively murderous) and Jason (who just found the whole thing amusing).

Finally, Bruce stood from his chair and cleared his throat. "Ladies, I think we've got much to discuss."

Marinette's brows furrowed, and she stood a little straighter. Marching over to the bottom of the steps, she grabbed Jason's arm and pulled him up and off of Tim. Turning to the family, she pointed a finger at him, still in her grasp. "First, I need to borrow him."

Bruce arched a brow, but nodded his consent. Satisfied, Jason allowed himself to be pulled up the stairs by her. Turning to look at her teammates, he wiggled his brows. Chloe giggled, and Alya just shook her head at their antics, turning her attention back to Bruce Wayne and his remaining sons. Chloe followed her lead, stepping up. She turned an acidic glare all around the room, missing the little girl on purpose.

"Now, since the cat's out of the bag, who thought tracking Jason back to us was such a brilliant idea."

Dick casually pointed to Tim, who had sat up and was now glaring openly at Alya. Chloe cracked her knuckles, striding up to him and kneeling. With a very fake smile, she grabbed hold of his collar and lifted him up with her as she stood. "Let's have a little chat, shall we Timothy?"

Oh, Dick and Damian were going to enjoy this. Bruce shook his head as he spoke up.

"Kori, please take Mar'i out of the room."

~~~~~

Once at the top of the stairs, Marinette wasn't exactly sure where to go. She hesitated, and Jason leaned forward to speak right into her ear. "Third door on your left Angel face."

Marinette squeaked softly, resisting the urge to melt right then and there. Narrowing her eyes slightly, she headed right for that door, pushing it open and stopping in her tracks. Jason, mystified, looked around to see what it was that had her stopping. All he saw was his bedroom as usual. He shrugged and stepped inside, her hand falling from his arm as he strode in and sat on his bed. Bright red crept up her face until even the tips of her ears were red. Chuckling softly, he pat the bed next to him and watched her swallow hard. Enjoying watching her squirm, he watched intently as she shut the door and took a visible deep breath. When she turned back around, she marched right over and sat beside him, making herself comfortable.

Marinette was anything but, but he was enjoying this way too much. She sat down and leaned back on her hands. Crossing one leg over the other in such a way that it showed the little slit in the side of her skirt closest to him. Two could play at this game, and while she'd never played this particular one, she was very lucky when it came to games.

Watching her with slightly widened eyes, it was Jason's turn to swallow as he dragged his eyes from her legs to meet mischievous baby blues. To be fair, he had started this. He just hadn't expected her to swap to her super persona so quickly. He'd figured they all would at some point, but he'd expected Alya to swap first.

"You know, I didn't expect to be found out so quickly. Or for the famed Bruce Wayne I've heard so much about to be both your father and Batman. Why didn't you say something? I feel like I should be bowing or something."

He knew she was joking, but his expression dropped a bit. She seemed worried, and that was the last thing he wanted. But he didn't want her to see him as Bruce Wayne's son. He just wanted to be her J Bird. Like he'd been since they met.

" . . . I didn't want that to be all you saw of me. Most people I meet as a civilian only see the son of Bruce Wayne. Another way to get to him. I just want to be Jason to you. Someone you talk to and laugh with . . . someone you might be able to love if I play my cards right."

She could understand that. Hadn't people chased Adrien all through their high school careers because he was famous? Because his father was a rich man who had pushed him into the public eye? He'd hidden out at her house quite a few times to get away from his fans. People did crazy things when they saw celebrities. People thought they knew him, but they didn't know the first thing. Her heart had ached for Adrien then, and it ached for Jason now.

"I have a friend who's more like a brother who has that problem. If you're worried about things changing because of this, they won't. I have no reason to change the way I am around you. Or to see you different. You're still Jason to me. Not Bruce Wayne's son. Not Red Hood. Jason. My friend. Something a little more than a friend, really, but a friend is as good a place to start as any."

Jason was still for another moment, before turning to her again with as serious a face as he could muster. She could see the grin he was trying not to show as he pinned her with those vivid green eyes she couldn't help but not the little blue flecks in.

"Did you just friendzone me?"

Marinette hit him with the first pillow she could reach.

~~~~~

Once everyone had reconvened (Except for Mar'i, who was playing with what she referred to as a 'Silkie' upstairs.), Jason and Marinette were given the full attention of everyone in the room. Bruce and Damian had relocated to sit with Dick and Kori, Chloe and Alya perching on the arms of the chair and having slipped easily into their more serious vigilante personas. Tim came back into the room holding an ice pack to his left eye, sitting on the floor in front of his family. He sat right in the center of the group, as far away from Marinette's roommates as he could get, which she and Jason found highly amusing.

Clearing her throat, Marinette stood with her feet shoulder width apart, arms held behind her back. Jason mimicked her posture, looking more serious than anyone had seen him in a long while. Even in the team meeting before they'd come upstairs, he hadn't looked so focused. Maybe Lady really was good for him. They'd have to observe longer to know for sure. Dick shifted slightly so his arm was once again behind Kori, and Marinette resisted the urge to smile.

"As you're all aware, we came across a group of what we suspect are mercenaries plotting the abduction of a rock star and his opening act during the concert he'll be putting on in the city in roughly a week's time. They appear to be hired help for a villian I suspect you all know. In the warehouse we found them in, where they stupidly left the skylight open, we spotted a box of clown masks. There was also a large hammer leaned against a crate, along with a jester hat. We suspect they've been hired by the joker. They intend to get to the performers by any means necessary."

Jason nodded, pursing his lips in distaste for a moment before continuing the explanation.

"Their orders are shoot to kill if anyone gets in their way, regardless of identity or intent. If they stand between the hitmen and the targets for even a millisecond, they're at risk of being killed."

Alya bristled, spine straightening as she leaned forward as though she could capture more details if she were closer. Chloe's eyes closed for a moment, but when she opened them they were a glacial blue that threatened vengeance. Marinette could feel her spine straightening in response, her demeanor shifting to the righteous fury she could feel from most everyone present. This would be the perfect group, she thought, to take down this operation before it even started. When Jason spoke again, Marinette turned her gaze to find his own full of that same fury she felt burning at her core.

"The performers themselves will arrive in four days, so that means we've got three. If they decide for any reason to speed up their timeline and attack early, we need to be ready. Until then, I suggest we send in two person teams for recon each night. No one patrols alone with this event so close. Chloe, you pair up with Kori. Alya, you take Tim. That leaves dad to take Damian and Dick with him. We strike in three days' time."

~~~~~

After what felt like a war meeting, Alfred announced that dinner was served. Surprisingly, it was rather enjoyable. Chloe, once she'd gotten out her ad aggression at the attempted tracking incident, seemed quite impressed with Tim's computer skills. Likewise he seemed impressed that she had thwarted him. They sat next to each other, leaning in like conspirators and talking in a kind of techno babble that no one else really understood.

Dick, Kori and Bruce had struck up a lively conversation about the drawbacks versus the advantages of long and short range weaponry, which had Alya very engaged. A few times, Marinette had even heard her laughing. Satisfied that her friends seemed to be enjoying themselves with the bat family, she turned her attention to the little girl on her right, between she and Alfred, who sat at the end of the table, Dick on his other side. She had learned that the girl's name was Mar'i, and she was the four year old daughter of Dick and Kori. The little girl seemed to find her very interesting, and Marinette was having fun listening to her.

"I tried to tell them I was a Titan, but they said I didn't have a costume! I told them I did too have a costume. I had a wonder woman costume. But they said I had to have my own. And mommy says I'm not allowed to have one until I'm older, so I couldn't be a Teen Titan yet."

The girl pouted, and Marinette chucked softly. Shaking her head, she pat the girl's hair lightly.

"Don't worry, I'm sure they'll manage somehow until you're old enough to join. But you don't have to wait that long for a costume. I could talk to your mommy and see if I could make you a training costume. Something to get you used to the feel of one. They're a little heavy, but they're nice. It's good to be properly protected. Maybe I could even show you a few moves."

Jason leaned forward so he could see his niece around his future wife. A bright grin adorned the little girl's features. She seemed ecstatic about the idea. Still, he arched a brow.

"You'll have to wait your turn though little star. I asked her to make me a fresh suit first. Mine is about to give out. But it'll give her a little more time to think about how to make yours. You want to it be the best it can be, right?"

Mar'i thought about this for a moment, before nodding. She grinned, showing off the gap where her left front tooth was missing.

"I can do that! Daddy says real superheroes have to learn good patience. Else the bad guys'll drive you crazy, and you might not have enough proof to put 'em away. I've been working on it, and I think I can be patient. Can I help you make the suits?"

Marinette was a bit surprised at the request, but a soft smile lit her lips anyways. She didn't mind, and it could be fun! No one ever wanted to design with her. 

"Of course! It could be a learning experience. And you can help me design your suit!"

Jason didn't think he could love her any more. As usual when it came to Marinette, he was wrong. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little short, but I'll try to get a few more out in the next few days to make up for it!


	8. Partners

Admittedly, Alya didn't really know what Tim had against her. She knew there was something, but she couldn't figure it out. He was so frigid towards her, though she wasn't sure what she'd done to deserve it. A soft chuckle left her though, as she stared down into the warehouse that her roommate and Tim's brother had run across. These guys were idiots. She could see all their plans spread across several tables. Not only that, all the lights were on and blazing through the windows. The place was lit up like a homing beacon. Pulling out the phone Marinette had told her to purchase for superhero business, she zoomed in and took a few quick photos.

Checking to make sure they were clear, she sent them to the group chat with the bats and her team. A slew of thumbs up emojis and a 'Good work Vix!' from Chloe came in, and she tucked the phone back into her utility belt. With a last glance over to her sullen partner for the night, she leapt over to the next building. They traveled in silence for a bit, but Alya had an idea. Perhaps if the could offer a good enough reaction, she could thaw him out a little. As a fox, she was quite skilled at distraction. Trickery was her trade, and she had learned it well. Listening as Red Robin's footsteps hit the rooftop behind her, she adjusted her stance on the cement, took in a deep breath, and darted off.

He stayed close on her heels, but Alya was tricky. She ducked under obstacles, jumping to and fro and staying just out of his reach. She would look back with a teasing grin or a wink and it spurred him on all the more. Just when she allowed him to draw closer, she dropped down between buildings. A mugging was taking place, and she was quick to knock out the four thugs who surrounded what looked like a young housewife coming home from shopping. The woman was very grateful, and Alya reassured her calmly. Binding the hands of the woman's attackers with zip ties and contacting the police, she spoke calmly to the victim.

"The police are going to want to take your statement. They'll be here soon. As soon as that's taken care of, you'll be free to go home."

With a charming smile, Alya climbed the building at her side, jumping nimbly from one windowsill to another until she was again facing a flabbergasted Red Robin. She repeated her usual foxlike grin. This could turn out to be quite interesting.

"That's one for me. Try to keep up boy genius."

Darting off again, it took a few seconds for Tim to pursue. When he called after her, there was almost a whine in his voice.

"Hey! No fair, I wasn't ready!"

Yes, Alya thought, they would be fine. Maybe eventually they would even be friends.

~~~~~

Tim really didn't understand Alya. And what was more, he didn't trust her. She was too tricky for his taste. He liked things to be simple. To make sense. But unlike every other person he knew outside the mask, instead of fawning all over Batman like he expected, she had expressed her respect and moved on. Even he had been a little excited at meeting Batman. She acted so normal about it that it couldn't be normal. She'd acted as though she didn't care. Like she did this everyday.

He really hoped she didn't do this everyday.

He hadn't meant to come across as cold, but he needed to observe her. Find out what made her tick. If he knew that, maybe he could decipher her reaction. At least, that had been the original plan.

But here he was, three and a half hours later sitting back in the bat cave and no further into his knowledge of her than he already had been. Mentally, he chided himself for getting involved in her game. She'd beat him quite spectacularly, and then gone about her business. She'd smiled at him and went home to take a shower.

What Tim wouldn't give to know all her secrets.

Alya Cesaire had just cemented herself at the top of his project list.

~~~~~

Jason, for his part, was miffed at being left behind to babysit while everyone else was out on a case that he and Marinette had discovered. He hated feeling idle. Like he wasn't being of use. But for her part, Marinette was more than happy to read to Mar'i and play with her until it was time for her to go to bed. The little girl had even asked Marinette to sing her a lullaby. The woman seemed quite happy to do so, content to dote on Mar'i instead of worrying. She knew it would her her nowhere.

The French designer had no issue getting the little girl ready and into bed, followed by her mellow voice. As Jason paced the hall, the sound caught his attention. He froze by the door, peering in to find Marinette settled on Mar'i's bed, the little girl cuddled into her side. The woman sang softly to her in French, a lilting melody that had the child's eyes drooping as she curled up, and Marinette ran her fingers gently through the Tamaranean child's long, dark hair.

When she finished, Mar'i was already fast asleep. Marinette slipped from her grasp carefully, pulling the covers up to her chin and pressing a kiss to her temple. With a soft smile and a last run of her fingers through the sleeping girl's hair, she eased out of the room and shut the door lightly, holding a finger to her lips as Jason stared.

His cheeks were light pink, and he stared at her for a moment. She had to wave her hands in front of his face for a few seconds before he came out of his daze. He blinked at her a few times before taking both of her hands in his and staring with awestruck eyes into her own baby blues.

"Marry me."

Her blush was inventing new shades of red.

"What?"

At the end of the hall, Alfred turned around with a chuckle. Cleaning that particular hallway could wait.

~~~~~

In her lifetime, Chloe had dealt with a lot. A terrorist with magic butterflies, a very bad liar with an almost superhuman ego, a giant ice cream snowman who froze everyone but couples, a bee themed comb that gave her a magical makeover, and disappearing roommates to name a few. But she had never met an alien. Starfire was someone it would be in her best interest to emulate. She was strong, beautiful, and took nothing from anyone.

Somehow, despite the drawbacks of living on a planet so far from where she was from, she still managed a healthy relationship with her childhood caretaker, even naming him the godfather of her child. She had a husband and daughter that loved her dearly, a family that had accepted her as one of their own, and a career helping other aliens fit into earth society. As far as Chloe was concerned, Starfire was living the dream.

She didn't know how to approach this woman, not really. For the most part, she observed. She could hear Alya and Tim chiding each other in her ear, and the playful banter Nightwing had struck up with Robin. But she didn't know how to start a conversation with a beautiful alien light years out of her depth. So the blonde was silent.

"How long have you known you team?"

She was startled by the question, jumping slightly. A soft smile from her partner for the night and expectant green eyes calmed her a bit.

"I've known Lady since we were children. Once, we were the best of friends. Then I started to resent her. I was jealous of her. It went on for years. In middle school, Vixen transferred into our class. She didn't take my attitude problem lying down. And once she got there, neither did Lady. It took a while, but I started trying to be better. And with a little help, and a little magic, here I am."

Kori nodded sagely, humming softly.

"Yes, I too was once not as good as I am now. But with time, things do tend to change. I certainly hope they continue to change for the better for you.

Chloe was speechless for a moment.

"I- . . . thank you. That means a lot coming from you. I hope I can continue to do good too. I know there are a lot of people much worse than what I used to be, but that doesn't excuse it. I'm still working on it, but I'll get there. For now, I'll pay my penance and try to be good."

Kori smiled softly. Oh to be so young and hopefully. She may have made a friend of Chloe after all.


	9. Mission : Accelerated

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nonchalant Luka, and how could we forget Jagged doting on his favorite niece.
> 
> More chaos incoming in the form of one gorgeous green eyed boy.

This was not how things were supposed to go.

Tim was crouched behind a stack of crates, tending the injuries of a bull headed guitarist who hadn't had the good sense to run away from the gunshots. Blue tipped hair hung into amused storm-grey eyes. His hands were pressed over a wound in the musician's side with a frustrated huff.

The last of the falling bodies from outside their makeshift shelter sounded, and the quiet murmuring of his family could be heard. The running feet of the three girls they'd been working with and two men who had been the other targets of this attack headed their way. Chloe and Alya practically tackled him, and the blonde man wasn't far behind. Marinette, however, just stood with her arms crossed. He looked up at her with a guilty grin.

"Hey Ma-ma-marinette."

His voice was soft (only Tim and Marinette were close enough to hear him), and it softened her scowl just a little.

"Don't you hey me Luka. Just what the hell were you thinking out there? You could've gotten yourself killed for fuck's sake!"

He chuckled softly.

"I was thinking better my side than Jagged's head. He was on his knees Bug. That shot wouldn't have missed."

True to his word, a smattering of blood stained the rock star's face. When Luka held out a hand, Marinette took it with a heavy sigh.

"You're going to be the death of me Luka Couffaine."

He showed a cheeky grin.

"You love me though."

She just flicked him.

"Shut up, you already need stitches. I'm not above making it hurt."

The grin never left his face.

"Yes ma'am."

~~~~~~~

This had not gone at all to plan. The attack had taken place a day earlier than the heroes had planned for. The musicians had been targeted during rehearsal, and the bats had been lucky Alya and Tim were passing above to warn them of the early strike. Vixen and Red Robin were first on the scene, followed by Lady and Hood, Andrena and Starfire, Batman, Robin and Nightwing the last to arrive.

Red Robin, Andrena and Nightwing were on protection duty, trying to keep the musicians safe from the onslaught. The rest kept fighting away from the other side of the crowd, though Lady and Hood had somehow gotten right into the thick of it and were scarily efficient as disposing of these creeps. 

Luka Couffaine was sure of three things in this confusing situation. One: his girls were back in action as superheroes. Without their kwamis. Two: Marinette was in love. Her song told him so. And three: someone was about to take a shot at Nightwing. The hero would get out of the way, but the bullet would hit Jagged. So he did what any self respecting son would do. He jumped into the fray, darting through the crowd like his life depended on it. Red Robin wasn't prepared for Luka to take off like a bat out of hell, but he kept up well. Just not well enough to keep Luka from taking the hit.

Lady whipped a titanium yoyo (a gift from Chloe the day before) around a stack of boxes and pulled them in the way of anyone going for them. Tim caught Luka as he stumbled back, lowering him to the ground and applying pressure to the wound as the last of the bodies fell.

~~~~~

Marinette and Jason rode back to the cave on his motorcycle while Chloe and Alya took Luka and Adrien back to the Sanctum to check on their wounds. Apparently, Jagged was old friends with Bruce, so Batman dropped him off at the Wayne residence to get cleaned up. After the rockstar was let in by Alfred, Bruce set the batmobile to take the long way back to the cave and slipped into a window. It was simple after that to slip down to the Bat Cave and change back into his civilian duds.

The rest of the family had already changed and made their way up to the house by the time Bruce made his way up. Clapping his hands together once, he took in the strange sight before him. Jagged was holding onto Marinette by the waist, and she was struggling a bit, looking as though she was trying to wiggle out of it. Dick and Tim were on the floor daydreaming and Damian was holding Jason back with help from Kori. All eyes turned to him, and he let out a long-suffering sigh.

"Jared, please let go of my son's girlfriend. You're strangling the poor girl, and Jason looks like he's about to blow a gasket."

Jagged made a face and loosened his hold on Marinette to look at her.

"Nettie! You didn't tell me you had a boyfriend! That is so not rock n' roll!"

Marinette just winced.

"Sorry Uncle Jagged."

He could already feel the headache forming.

~~~~~

After they'd been patched up and showered, the girls returned with Adrien and Luka, leading them into the living room of the Wayne residence. Damian and Mar'i were sitting in front of the fire dozing off sightly (though they knew it was likely only because his family outnumbered the outsiders and wouldn't let anything happen to him), Dick and Kori were sitting on the love seat with his arm wrapped around her shoulders. Bruce had taken his seat in the big recliner they suspected he liked because it resembled a throne. Tim had taken to playing with some bolts and pipe cleaners on the floor with Jagged, and Jason and Marinette sat curled together on the couch, Marinette half asleep until she spotted them and came running.

"Luka! Adrien!"

She ran right at them and threw her arms around her almost brothers easily. She may have bumped Luka's stitches, but he just grinned and wrapped his arms around her in return. He did kind of deserve that one for scaring her. Adrien chuckled softly, mischievous green eyes hidden by Marinette's hair. She was shorter than both of them but she was certainly fiercer. Luka just chuckled.

"Hey Ma-Ma-Marinette. Miss us?"

Only Tim was aware he knew the girls' identities. Not that he was going to tell anyone. He intended to find out how he knew. And perhaps, if he could land a date with Luka while he was at it he wouldn't complain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm trying to ease back into updates for my stories, I'm gonna give myself a schedule. Every 2 or three days I'll post a new chapter of a story. Sometimes sooner if I have particular inspiration.
> 
> I'll probably cycle through all my Miraculous and Maribat stories about twice and then I'll go through and try to write the ones with the most demand out in their entirety (not counting Red Kingdom, I adopted that one and so help me I will be finishing it in a timely manner!) and from there I'll repeat the cycle adding in whatever new stories I happen to think up or adopt into the mix.  
> Cool?  
> Cool.
> 
> That said, ultimately what I finish first is up to the readers. For the most part I have a lot of these planned out almost in their entirety so really it's just based on what you as readers want to see more of! So let me know and I'll hopefully be able to prioritize it. First come first served and I'll probably base how many additional chapters I add on the amount of requests for that story. For example I may go by twos so four comments for a particular story might be a good two or three chapters.
> 
> (And if you have any ideas about what you might like to see in a particular fanfic I'd be happy to hear and possibly incorporate some of those ideas!)
> 
> If you made it this far, have fun voting and/or suggesting! Thank you!

**Author's Note:**

> I adore the Mari x Bat Boys tropes. I live for it. I have a few Daminette fics, but I also like Jason x Marinette. This is me caving.


End file.
